Smriti Mandhana took India to a seven-wicket win over West Indies Women with a gracefully compiled unbeaten century in the ICC Women’s World Cup. The Indian spinners – Poonam Yadav (2/19), Deepti Sharma (2/27), Harmanpreet Kaur (2/42) and Ekta Bisht (1/23) restricted WI to 183 for eight to set up India Women’s second successive win in the tournament after Mithali Raj elected to field. The opener then took the team past the finish line with a calmly compiled 106* off 108 balls while Mithali contributed 46. In the process, she became the youngest Indian to score a century in the Women’s World Cup and the third youngest in the world.
Earlier, after a couple of quiet overs the West Indies opener Hayley Matthews milked the Indian pace duo in an effort to set the tone of the innings. However, Ekta Bisht brought into the attack in the seventh over forced a nick from Felicia Walters off the first ball to leave the opponents on 29 for one. With skipper Stafanie Taylor, the opener plodded on. The spinners kept the batters on a tight leash and with runs hard to come by, the opener departed scooping the ball back to Deepti Sharma 40 runs later.
An over later, a direct hit by Mandhana from short third-man resulted in Stafanie Taylor’s run-out at the non-striker’s end. The Indian spinners dried up the flow of runs and runs and continued to dominate. Deepti, Poonam and Bisht had maintained a stranglehold on the innings and built pressure.
Poonam deceived the experienced Merissa Aguilleria in flight and had her stumped leaving WI on 80 for four in the 28th over. 11 runs later, Dottin’s labourious 48-ball 7-run stay at the crease ended as she looked to loft the spinner over long-on but was caught by Punam Raut.
Back on the field after sustaining a finger injury, Harmanpreet joined the attack in plugging the flow of runs and kept the batters on their toes. She accounted for Kyshona Knight to leave WI on 91 for five.
With a little over 15 overs left in the innings, Chedean Nation and Shanel Daley then looked to up the ante. Brought back into the attack, Jhulan Goswami was slammed for a couple of boundaries by Daley while Nation collected a couple more off Deepti a bit later. With the team on 121, Nation coming down the track to Harmanpreet was stumped. 25 runs later, Daley too was stumped off Deepti as she looked to give the charge.
Anisa Mohammed the joined Afy Fletcher then took their chances to add 37 runs at a brisk pace in an unbroken stand to set India a 184-run target. Fletcher claimed 18 off Harmanpreet in the last over including three successive hits to the fence.
Chasing the sub-par total, Mandhana led the chase with poise. Although she lost her opening partner Punam Raut in the first over without a run on the board, followed by Deepti 33 runs later, the batter continued to go about her task undeterred. At 33 for two, she found an able ally in the captain and the pair ensured the chase stayed on course.
Mithali entertained with her elegant strokes while Mandhana continued to impress with her effortless batting. The duo added 108-run for the third wicket until the India skipper was sent back four runs short of what could have been her eight successive half-century.
Mithali missed her eight consecutive fifty by four runs as she departed handing a simple catch towards mid-off for 46. Mona Meshram then joined Mandhana in overhauling the total. With an unbroken 45-run partnership the pair claimed victory.
Carrying on from where she had left in the previous game, Mandhana finished the match with a boundary off Matthews.
Player of the Match: Smriti Mandhana for her 106 (108b, 13x4, 2x6).
