Internet Desk: The setting for Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin’s 100th One-Day International was poetic. Taunton is the ‘home’ of Taylor in the Super League with Western Storm, it’s where the feats of Joel Garner and Sir Viv Richards grace the hallways, where Chris Gayle once sent a six into the river by the stadium. The women, though, did little to add to the legend of the Caribbean at the ground, coming up with a second defeat in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.
Strangulation by spin from India had it restricted to 183 for 8 on Thursday, before Smriti Mandhana’s authoritative second international hundred and first at the World Cup guided the Asian side through with seven wickets to spare.
Mandhana, the left-hand opener who fell for 90 in the opener against England, attacked the pacers and worked the gaps to bring up a well deserved century off 105 balls. She was unbeaten on 106 off 108, in an effort that included 13 fours and two sixes, even as she received treatment at the breaks for lingering niggles.
Poonam Yadav, the leg-spinner who bowled a first spell that read 9-2-14-2, earlier worked well in tandem with Deepti Sharma, the off-spinner who finished with 2 for 27 off her ten, while Ekta Bisht was dependable as ever with 1 for 23. Windies was timid in taking them on, and paid for it.