Radha Yadav and seamer Saima Thakor (2/26) were playing well as the hosts held the visitors to 168.
Amelia Kerr attempted to hold back with an undefeated 23-ball 25, but India’s disciplined bowling held New Zealand to 168 as they attempted to chase an unsatisfactory 227 in Thursday’s first ODI in Ahmedabad. On his debut, seamer Saima Thakor (2/26) dismissed Brooke Halliday and the seasoned Suzie Bates, while Radha Yadav took three crucial wickets (3/35) to hasten New Zealand’s demise and give India a resounding 59-run victory.
New Zealand got out to a good start, but they were unable to build on it because of a lack of partnerships. By the time they hit 79, they had lost three wickets, and skipper Sophie Devine was bizarrely dismissed for failing to drag her feet behind the crease when Deepti Sharma tossed the ball to wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia.It appeared like New Zealand would win easily until Halliday and Maddy Green batted, adding 49 runs for the fifth wicket. However, as India continued to chip away at their batting, Kerr, who has been struggling with injury since New Zealand’s successful T20 World Cup campaign last week, lost two wickets in the 30th over, ruining their effort. Thakor held on to a return catch, but Halliday’s wicket was the turning point India needed.
Isabella Gaze called for one fresh batter, but Green hesitated to get off to her, and three balls later, she suffered a brain fog. Green was run out by at least a few yards when Smriti Mandhana saw an opening and swooped on the ball at mid-on and delivered it to the batter’s end. As Kerr began analyzing the spaces and launched a late counterattack, Gaze attempted to hold one end. But as New Zealand crumbled under the pressure, India claimed the final two wickets in only five balls.The Ahmedabad pitch’s stop-start conditions and India’s bowling may have given them a 1-0 lead, but their batting strategy still raises serious questions. When they decided to bat, they encountered the Kerr sisters, medium pacer Jess (3/49) and Amelia (4/42) who stopped India from scoring a high total. In the third over, Smriti Mandhana, who had taken the lead when Harmanpreet Kaur was rested because of a niggle, was removed.
