Indian eves beat New Zealand to win the ODI series

XtraTime Web Desk: Indian women cricket team won the three-match ODI series just a day after Indian men clinched the ODI series. Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj helped India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ICC Women’s Championship one-day international series in New Zealand on Tuesday.

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As in the first match, New Zealand struggled against India’s bowlers. Amy Satterthwaite, the home captain, led from the front with a fighting 71, but with Goswami leading the charge, India kept the hosts to a modest 161 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

Thereafter, Mandhana once again dominated proceedings. She followed up her century in the first match with an 83-ball 90*, putting on 151 with Mithali Raj (63* off 11) for the third wicket. It was the latest in a long line of exemplary scores from Mandhana – in her last 10 ODIs, she has scored at least a half-century on eight occasions.

But the victory was set up by the bowlers.  Goswami finished with an excellent 3/23, while all of Bisht, Deepti Sharma and Yadav claimed with two wickets each.

India’s chase had a rather wobbly start, though, with Anna Peterson and Tahuhu accounting for Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma early. Unfortunately for the hosts, that was all the success they were allowed.

Mandhana just picked up from where she left off in the first ODI, when she had scored her fourth century in the format. Once again, she scored freely and found a solid partner in captain Raj at the other end.

Raj scored relatively slowly, but hit a couple of sixes off Kasperek, and as the target came into sight, she too scored boundaries more regularly.

Mandhana remained unbeaten and her knock featured 13 fours and a six. Raj scored 63* from 111 deliveries, including two sixes and four fours. Her second six brought the winning runs for India.

With the win, India have moved to No.2 on the Championship table, on 12 points after 11 games, ahead of New Zealand on net run-rate.

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