Mithali Raj plays captain’s knock, leads India to the semifinals

Mithali-Raj
Mithali Raj played a captain’s knock today against the Black-caps. Image Source: ICC

Internet Desk: Skipper Mithali Raj’s ton helped the Indian Women’s cricket team to beat New Zealand in a convincing manner by 186 runs in a must win encounter. This win helped India to reach the semifinals of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 today.

Raj played a brilliant knock of 109 runs to help her team to post a challenging total of 265/7 on board. Veda Krishnamurthy 70 backed her well as she scored a quick fire 70 runs. While bowling, left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad became the hero of the match as she took her maiden fifer (5/15) to bundle out the White Ferns for a paltry 79.

Put in to bat in overcast conditions with the floodlights on, India’s two most high-profile batters absorbed the pressure after Poonam Raut edged an outswinger from Lea Tahuhu to be caught at slip and Smriti Mandhana played on from a Hannah Rowe delivery.

At 21 for 2 in 7.4 overs, India needed Raj and Kaur to produce the best show of their lives. It could have been so easy for them to go into their shell like the batting unit had done on occasion through the tournament, but they worked out that with New Zealand playing a bowler short, it was a matter of targeting one bowler at a time.

While the New Zealand seamers targeted Kaur with a few short balls, Amelia Kerr, the 16-year-old leg-spinner, like in the defeat against England at the same venue a few days back, allowed the pressure to be released. Kaur swept her, while Raj used her feet. It forced Suzie Bates to staunch the flow of runs with Amy Satterthwaite’s offspin, but that also did not work.

India reached 100 in the 28th over, and then came the phase where the duo switched gears. Kaur changed her bat after reaching fifty and hit two fours off Bates’ over, but then fell off the first ball of the batting Power Play. Eager to press on, she played Leigh Kasperek, New Zealand’s best bowler with figures of 3 for 45, against the turn to be caught and bowled on the second attempt.

India have now joined Australia, England and South Africa as the four semi-finalists of this year’s World Cup.

Brief scores: 

India Women: 265 for 7 in 50 overs (Mithali Raj 109, Veda Krishnamurthy 70; Leigh Kasperek 3/45).

New Zealand Women: 79 all out in 25.3 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 26; Rajeshwari Gayakwad 5/15).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzDO_Wwr4Tw