NZ’s experienced trio of Devine, Bates and Tahuhu level series 1-1

Player Of The Match

79 (86) & 3/27

ReportRadha-Thakor pair post India’s highest partnership for the ninth wicket in ODIs to reduce the margin of defeat

Sophie Devine got a key breakthrough with Jemimah Rodrigues’ wicket  •  BCCI

New Zealand 259 for 9 (Devine 79, Bates 58, Radha 4-69) beat India Women 183 (Radha 48, Devine 3-27, Tahuhu 3-42) by 76 runs

It was a day when Radha Yadav could do everything: fly like a superwoman to grab two stunning catches, take 4 for 69 with the ball, be India’s top-scorer with 48 from No. 9, and help add 70 with Saima Thakor for the ninth wicket. That was not only India’s highest stand in pursuit of 260 against New Zealand on Sunday, but also their highest ODI partnership for that wicket.

But unfortunately for India, all those performances could not help India from avoiding defeat. New Zealand, led by an all-round show from their captain Sophie Devine, sealed a comfortable 76-run win to take the series into the decider. Not only that, New Zealand also grabbed crucial points in the Women’s Championship to remain afloat for direct qualification for next year’s World Cup.

Devine hit 79 and saw off a quiet period with the bat for her side, eventually pushing New Zealand’s first-innings total to 259. With the ball, she bagged her opposite number Harmanpreet Kaur, and also Jemimah Rodrigues. India’s chase was never on track either side of that brief stand, falling well shot despite some resilience late in the contest.

Five overs into the chase, India were 26 for 3, with Smriti Mandhana falling without scoring. She chipped Lea Tahuhu to point in the first over, before Jess Kerr trapped Shafali Verma in front for an entertaining 11 in the fourth. Next over, Tahuhu had Yastika Bhatia edging behind to wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze, who finished the day with four catches.

Kaur and Rodrigues added 38 for the fourth wicket, and that remained India’s highest stand until Radha and Thakor’s ninth-wicket stand of 70. Kaur’s 24 was the most that any top-seven batter from India managed, and at 77 for 5 in the 18th over, the wheels had come off.

But the fact that they a challenging target to chase was down to the half-centuries from Devine and Suzie Bates. Bates, who scored 58, put on a stand of 87 with Georgia Plimmer for the first wicket to set the tone for New Zealand, whose innings could be split into four different quarters. The first one belonged to Bates and Plimmer, who combined to thump 13 fours and a six in the first 15 overs.

But in the tenth over, Plimmer was dropped by Deepti Sharma when on 16, the first of three dropped catches from the allrounder. Plimmer and Bates relied mostly on timing and placement instead of power. Harmanpreet, back into the side after missing the first ODI due to a niggle, introduced spin in the sixth over, but it hardly affected New Zealand’s momentum.

The breakthrough finally came when Radha took the first of her two great catches in the 16th over. Placed at midwicket, she moved swiftly to her right before diving full stretch to have Plimmer caught for 41 off Deepti. That started a run of 12 overs which saw New Zealand score only 34 for the loss of three wickets.

Bates got to fifty to start the 19th over, but next ball, Deepti put her down at midwicket, choosing to go for it by lifting only her right hand instead of using both hands. Two overs later, though, one of Bates’ drives down the ground deflected off debutant Priya Mishra’s hands, and found Lauren Down short at the non-striker’s end.

In the 27th, Radha had Bates caught and bowled for 58, but Devine stood firm at the other end. That started a period of play where New Zealand steadied themselves. In the next 17 overs, they scored 84, and lost only one wicket. Devine cut, flicked and pulled for boundaries, but in the 32nd over, Radha stunned New Zealand with her fielding again. Now placed at extra cover, she sprinted and dived full stretch to have Brooke Halliday for 8.

But Devine and Green ensured India didn’t run away with the game, even as Deepti also dropped Green on 6 in the 34th over. The two batters kept ticking along, with Devine overturning an lbw decision against her when on 36. She got to her fifty off 65 balls in the 41st over, and set it up for a solid finish. The last six overs saw New Zealand pummel 55 runs, with Green driving, ramping and flicking Thakor for successive boundaries in the 45th over.

Radha had Green holing out to long-off for 42 next over, but boundaries from Jess Kerr and a six from Devine took New Zealand to 259. That proved more than enough, even as Radha had struck back-to-back in the penultimate over.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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