Highlights, India Women vs New Zealand Women, 1st T20I at Wellington, Full Cricket Score: White Ferns win by 23 runs, lead series 1-0

— India Women today:

102/1

136/10

— Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues’ stand of 98 runs today was the second highest ever in a losing cause in Women’s T20Is. The highest is 129, came between Mandhana and Raj at Mumbai in 2018 against England.

After 19 overs,India Women 136/9 ( Deepti Sharma 5 , )

Five runs are too few at this stage and two wickets in an over is too many in any stage. Kasperek has two to show in her wicket column as NZ inch closer. Some big-hitting in the final over will help India get over the line as they require 23 off the final six balls. Deepti to take strike, can she pull off a miracle?

OUT! Radha Yadav skips down the wicket, misses the line of the ball completely and there was no way coming back. Another easy stumping for Martin. NZ one wicket away.

st Katey Martin b Kasperek 3(3)

OUT! India continue to tumble. Kasperek snaffles a very good return catch as wicket-keeper Bhatia hits it hard and straight. Kasperek has to dive low to her left to claim the wicket.

Bhatia c and b Kasperek 1(2)

After 18 overs,India Women 131/7 ( Deepti Sharma 3 , Taniya Bhatia (W) 1)

Has Kerr pulled the plug with Harmanpreet Kaur’s wicket. The young White Ferns star has shown great valour to float the ball to Harmanpreet Kaur and in the battle of risk vs reward. Kerr receives reward. The Kiwis are jubilant, they can sniff it already. India need 29 off 12 balls with 3 wickets in hand.

OUT! Amelia Kerr has shown the heart to flight the ball after being hit for six and she has managed to get the massive wicket of one of the strongest hitters going around in world cricket. Kaur sees the flight and ventures down the pitch, the ball being tossed wide of off stump, Kaur was trying to hit it inside out. The idea was right, but the ball dips and turns away, past the outside edge of Kaur and Martin had a lot of time on her hands to whips the bails. 

Harmanpreet Kaur st Katey Martin b Amelia Kerr 17(15)

After 17 overs,India Women 122/6 ( Harmanpreet Kaur (C) 11 , Deepti Sharma 1)

Deepti Sharma is the last hope in terms of a partner that Kaur can rely on. Kaur gets one over the covers but Satterthwaite tracks the ball down and puts in the dive to pull the ball back in play. one crucial run saved. Outstading work. Deepti is off the mark with a single and runs a quick leg bye off the final ball. India now need 38 off 18 balls.

OUT! That is plumb! Rosemary Mair has her maiden wicket in T20Is. Arundhati Reddy opts for the cross batted swipe and misses it completely. She hit on the back leg, right in front of the middle stump. Easy decision to give. India continue to slide.

Arundhati Reddy lbw b Rosemary Mair 2(6)

After 16 overs,India Women 116/5 ( Harmanpreet Kaur (C) 7 , Arundhati Reddy 2)

Kerr sends down another tight over, giving just five singles away the asking rate is now over 11 runs an over. T20 changes in quick time and how quickly has this match slipped from India’s grasp? Can Kaur conjure some magic? 44 needed off 24 balls

After 15 overs,India Women 111/5 ( Harmanpreet Kaur (C) 4 , Arundhati Reddy 0)

A double-wicket maiden in the 15th over of a 160-run chase! Wowzza! Tahuhu deliveries just on demand, removing Hemalatha and Patil in the same over almost got her third with White Ferns challenging Billy Bowden’s onfield call for a leg before wicket, but Arundhati had a thick inside edge onto her pads. Tahuhu will have settle for two wickets in the over as she ends her quota with figures of 3/20. NZ lose their review. Kaur strangled at the non-striker’s end. Deepti Sharma yet to come for India.

OUT! It is the same bowler-fielder combo that gets another wicket for the White Ferns. Anuja Patil out for a duck. Not very sure what Patil was trying to do there, perhaps trying to hit out the fast bowler over the top. She was eyeing to hoick it over mid on but again done in for pace. Doesn’t get the timing right ends up hitting straight to mid on.

Anuja Patil c Amelia Kerr b Tahuhu 0(3)

OUT! Tahuhu bounces out Hemalatha. Quick back of a length delivery that hurries on to Hemalatha, who is very late in her attempt to pull the ball. Is hit high on the bat and Ameila Kerr at mid wicket takes a simple catch.

Hemalatha c Amelia Kerr b Tahuhu 3(6)

After 14 overs,India Women 111/3 ( Dayalan Hemalatha 3 , Harmanpreet Kaur (C) 4)

Another good move from Satterwaithe to bring the experienced Devine back on. The destructive all-rounder slips in a tidy over, giving away just four singles. Kaur yet to hit her straps.

After 13 overs,India Women 107/3 ( Dayalan Hemalatha 1 , Harmanpreet Kaur (C) 2)
 

Amy Satterthwaite’s bowling change does the trick as spouse Tahuhu strikes off her first ball. After Mandhana’s departure, seeing the back of a well-set Rodrigues will revive hopes in Whiter Ferns camp, but Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has just walked in to the middle and the world, especially NZ are well aware of her prowess. Nicely poised now. India require 53 off 42 deliveries

OUT! Gone! That’s a double break for the Kiwis. Rodrigues falls to Tahuhu what can be qualified as a rash shot! It was wide outside off and slightly back of a length with Rodrigues trying to slap it flat-batted over covers instead gets a tickle to Martin behind the stumps. NZ are back in it and how!

Rodrigues c Katey Martin b Tahuhu 39(33)

After 12 overs,India Women 103/2 ( Jemimah Rodrigues 39 , Dayalan Hemalatha 0)

India go past the 100-run mark with a boundary from Mandhana early in the over, but she departed soon after. Kerr with the prized wicket. White Ferns trying to make a late comeback.

Highest stands for India Women against New Zealand Women in T20Is:

134 – Kaur/Rodrigues, Providence, 2018
98 – Mandhana/Rodrigues, Wellington, 2019*
47 – Kaur/Vanitha, Bangalore, 2015

OUT! That has been spectacularly held by Hannah Rowe in the deep. Mandhana shimmies down the pitch and goes over the top of cover, she was aiming it much straighter than where she wanted, as it came off the outside half of the bat. Rowe came in a couple of yards only to realise the ball was sailing over her head, she back paddles and takes it safely in the end. Big catch and a big wicket of Mandhana, who departs after playing another breathtaking innings.

Mandhana c Hannah Rowe b Amelia Kerr 58(34)

DID YOU KNOW?

Smriti Mandhana’s 31-ball fifty today was the fifth fastest for India Women’s in T20Is. She has now scored four of the first five fastest fifties for India Women in T20Is.

After 11 overs,India Women 98/1 ( Smriti Mandhana 54 , Jemimah Rodrigues 38)

What was turning out to be a very good over from Whiter Ferns’ point of view, it was spoilt by the boundary off the final ball. India now need 62 off 54 balls.

After 10 overs,India Women 90/1 ( Smriti Mandhana 52 , Jemimah Rodrigues 32)
 

Satterthwaite comes in and bowls a brilliant over in the scheme of things. Mandhana and Rodrigues managed just three singles. Would you believe it, this is the only over without a boundary in the Indian innings. She kept it wide outside off to Mandhana, keeping it away from her arc.

After 9 overs,India Women 87/1 ( Smriti Mandhana 51 , Jemimah Rodrigues 30)

Mandhana has simply flew to her half-century. Such is her form that everything seems to be coming from the sweet spot. Devine is taken for some beating. These two know eachother well, and Mandhana getting the better off her at the moment.

Most 50-plus scores for India Women in T20Is:

17 – Mithali Raj
7 – Smriti Mandhana*
7 – Harmanpreet Kaur

After 8 overs,India Women 78/1 ( Smriti Mandhana 44 , Jemimah Rodrigues 29)

Amelia Kerr introduced into the attack. A boundary by Rodrigues on the second ball with five singles taken to make it a 9-run over.

After 7 overs,India Women 69/1 ( Smriti Mandhana 41 , Jemimah Rodrigues 23)
 

India galloping here! Satterthwaite has turned to Devine to produce some magic but Mandhana is middle of fantastic spell with the bat. 11 taken off her first over.

After 6 overs,India Women 58/1 ( Smriti Mandhana 31 , Jemimah Rodrigues 22)

That could be a shocking and dreadful end to Rodrigues’ stay in the middle, after smacking three boundaries, she attempted another big shot but missed it completely, taking it on her body, with the ball rolling on to short third fielder. Unaware with ball still in play, Rodrigues shadow practices only to realise there is an appeal made wicket-keeper Martin whips the bails, Billy Bowden asks for a TV referral and we see she just has a tiny part of her shoe behind the line. Close shave!