New Delhi: Jhulan Goswami’s 3/23 and half-centuries by
Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj helped India thrash New Zealand by
eight wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match
ICC Women’s Championship one-day international series here on
Tuesday.
Like the first match, New Zealand struggled against
India’s bowlers. Apart from Amy Satterthwaite, who scored a gritty 71
runs, no other batswomen contributed handsomely as Goswami led the
charge and restricted the hosts to a modest 161 at the Bay Oval here,
according to an ICC release.
Coming in to bat, India’s
Mandhana (90 not out) dominated the proceedings, forging an
impressive 151-run partnership with Mithali Raj (63 not out off 111)
for the third wicket.
But the victory was set up by the
bowlers. Goswami’s opening over accounted for Suzie Bates for a duck,
and that was a big blow for New Zealand. Then, Shikha Pandey trapped
Sophie Devine in front for seven.
When Ekta Bisht removed
Lauren Down and Amelia Kerr for 15 and 1 respectively, the hosts were
left tottering at 38/4. Maddy Green looked to knuckle down with her
captain, but fell to Poonam Yadav after a 28-ball 9.
Satterthwaite
took the lead and stitched together a relatively brisk 58-run stand
with Leigh Kasperek before finally being dismissed by Yadav. There
were some handy contributions from the lower order, but Goswami
helped end the resistance, dismissing Kasperek and Lea Tahuhu for 21
and 12 respectively.
Goswami finished with 3/23, while Bisht,
Deepti Sharma and Yadav chipped in 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 had 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 in
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.
(With inputs from IANS)