India Green cantered to an eight-wicket win over India Red in the second match of the Challenger Trophy 2017-18. The second successive loss has knocked the Mithali Raj-led team out of the ongoing one-day tournament.
Chasing the 218-run target, Punam Raut (84* off 124) and Jemimah Rodrigues (84 off 93) shaped the India Green chase with watchfully built knocks.
While Raut held one end up, her younger partner milked the India Red bowlers with ease. Rodrigues impressed with her stroke play as she helped her side seize the momentum from the opposition. The pair put together a 139-run opening stand as they batted India Red out of the game and the tournament. Rodrigues was on song and looked set to touch the three-figure mark.
However, she departed attempting to clear the fence off Deepti Sharma. Devika Vaidya, who replaced her in the middle, was stumped off the spinner nine runs later leaving the team on 148 for two. Raut then found an able ally in Anuja Patil. The opener and the skipper then took the team to the target with an unbroken 71-run partnership with 44 balls to spare.
After they were asked to bat, Priya Punia and Deepti got India Red off to a sedate start. The pair grafted runs as they worked to build a solid foundation. The opening stand was ended for 105 with Punia being run out for 51. With Mithali, Deepti then helped add 49 runs for the second wicket until she was removed by Jemimah leaving the side on 154 for two in the 40th over. Although the India Red captain added runs at a brisk pace the slow start cost the side. Looking to add quick runs, the batters that followed tried to up the ante and in the process lost the wickets. While Mithali was run out, Nishu Choudhary and T Kanwer were dismissed by Patil. Sushma Verma was bowled by Preeti Bose.
After the skipper returned a run short of her half-century leaving the side on 215 for six, Neha Tanwar and Sukanya Parida added two runs off the reaming two deliveries to take the team to 217 for six in their quota of fifty overs.
India Blue will take on India Green in the last game off the league phase on January Saturday and the two teams will once again face-off in the final on Monday.
Scorecard
