 "Deepti Sharma displays the ball after finishing the pick of the bowlers with figures of 6/31 during the third ODI against West Indies in Vadodara. Image credit: X/@BCCIWomen")
All-rounder Deepti Sharma starred with bat as well as with ball, collecting her career-best figures of 6/31 as the India women’s cricket team defeated West Indies by five wickets to complete a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series in Vadodara on Friday. Deepti joined forces with in-form pacer Renuka Singh as the pair shared all 10 wickets between themselves after the visitors opted to field. Renuka finished with figures of 4/29 as the West Indians were bowled out for 162 in 38.5 overs.
The off-spinner later came to India’s rescue after they were reduced to 73/4 in the 13th over, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 48 balls and guiding the team home by stitching together a couple of important partnerships with Jemimah Rodrigues (29) and Richa Ghosh (23 not out). India thus chased the target down in 28.2 overs.
Swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Ghosh was unbeaten on an 11-ball 23 when the winning runs were scored.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who eased nerves with two boundaries after last match centurion Harleen Deol’s (1) dismissal left India at 23/2, blazed away to a 22-ball 32 before getting bowled by Afy Fletcher.
During her breezy knock, Kaur smashed seven boundaries and looked good for a big one before getting dismissed.
In-form opener Smriti Mandhana (4) departed early as Ashmini Munisar completed a strange one-handed catch after appearing to have misjudged what should actually have been a straightforward catch off the bowling of Aaliyah Alleyne.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEnjoying a good run of form in recent times , vice-captain Mandhana did not get to the pitch of the ball on the day and paid the price.
One-down batter Deol followed suit, nicking for a Deandra Dottin delivery way outside off-stump and got a faint edge that was taken by wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle.
Middle-order batter Rodrigues chipped in with 29 off 45 balls.
Earlier, Renuka tormented West Indies with a fiery opening spell before Deepti got into the act to bowl out the visitors cheaply.
Thakur and Deepti were relentless with the ball, taking all 10 wickets between them.
Thakur’s accurate line and length dismantled the top order, while Deepti deceived the West Indies batters with flight and guile, recording her third ODI five-wicket haul and second six-wicket performance.
West Indies fought back with a 97-run partnership between Chinelle Henry (61) and Shemaine Campbelle (46), helping them to cross 160. Without this stand, the visitors might have been bowled out for less than 100.
Both batted really well and were aggressive against the spinners.
Apart from Henry and Campbelle, only Alleyne (21) reached a double digit score as West Indies’ batting woes continued.
Opting to bat first, West Indies’ innings struggled from the onset as Thakur dismissed both openers — Qian in the very first ball — and Hayley Matthews, who scored a century in the last match, for ducks.
She then claimed the wicket of the dangerous Deandra Dottin (5).
From there, the show belonged to Deepti as she took control by spinning a web. West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals, ending their innings in the 39th over and denting their chances of securing a consolation win.
With PTI inputs