With brilliant hundreds from Smriti Mandhana (105) and Pratika Rawal (122), India defeated New Zealand by a hefty 53-run margin in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, to advance to the Women’s World Cup semi-finals.
After suffering three straight defeats, India found its batting form just in time to get to the semi-finals alongside defending champions Australia, England, and South Africa.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ quick 76 not out provided centurions Mandhana and Rawal with excellent support as the hosts amassed a huge 340/3 in 49 overs during a rain-affected match.
New Zealand battled in the run chase and ended up on 271/8 after being given a revised target of 325 in 44 overs using the Duckworth-Lewis method. With 81 off 84 balls, Brooke Halliday top scored for the visitors.
New Zealand needed its unimpressive opening duo of Suzie Bates (1) and Georgia Plimmer (30) to step up as they chased the enormous aim, but India got ahead early thanks to another forgettable performance from Kiwi openers.
Bates got caught in the covers after Kranti Goud’s delivery slipped off the surface and caught her off guard.
Amelia Kerr (45) and Plimmer combined for 50 runs for the second wicket, but they were unable to give New Zealand the boost they needed to re-put pressure on India. When Renuka Singh (2/25) arrived for her second spell, she had New Zealand in a disarray.
After Plimmer was bowled off an inside edge, she hit the middle and leg stumps with her signature in-swinger, defeating Sophie Devine’s (6) defense, which put the visitors in difficulty at 59/3.
The asking rate continued to rise over New Zealand’s grasp despite Halliday’s valiant efforts as she formed crucial stands with Amelia Kerr (45), Maddy Green (18), and Isabella Gaze (65 not out, 51 balls, 10x4s).
Earlier, Rodrigues’ quick knock and the imperious hundreds from Mandhana and Rawal propelled India to an intimidating total.
In addition to creating two significant partnerships—a record 212 runs with Mandhana for the first wicket and 76 runs with Rodrigues for the second—Rawal made it count with her first World Cup hundred, which was achieved in a traditional fashion.
After being dropped from the previous game because India preferred a sixth bowler, Rodrigues hit a barrage of fours to reach the quickest fifty of the World Cup from 39 balls and finished with 76 off 55 balls and 11 fours.
With her third World Cup ton, the first of this edition, Mandhana (109 off 95 balls, 10x4s, 4x6s) appeared to be hitting her peak at the right moment. She gave early signs of her best form with a magnificent six over cover off spinner Eden Carson.
Mandhana and Rawal quickly convinced New Zealand that asking India to bat first would not have been the best course of action in the hot and muggy weather.
New Zealand started off with neat spells, but as soon as the White Ferns were sent on a leather hunt, everything fell apart.
Mandhana was the more aggressive of the two, demonstrating why she has been in a different league among Indian batters with her wide variety of strokes, which range from powerful on-side smashes to exquisite late-cuts.
In addition to getting closer to surpassing Australian legend Meg Lanning’s record for the most ODI hundreds for any player (15), Mandhana’s 14th ODI century was her fifth this year.
Mandhana, accompanied by a determined Rawal, sped to her third consecutive fifty in the 18th over and reached their seventh century stand in just 23 innings.
And the 212-run partnership for the first wicket was the best for any wicket for India in World Cup history as well as the best for any wicket among the eight nations competing in this tournament.
Rawal’s determination to earn her first World Cup ton and second three-figure haul overall demonstrated her abilities as the ideal counterpoint to Mandhana.
Despite having 63 dot balls in her 134-ball 122, which was dotted with 13 fours and two sixes, the right-hander also showed that she was determined to make it matter by contributing significantly, before walking back in the 43rd over.
After the Kiwis had made their initial breakthrough in the 34th over with the wicket of Mandhana, Rodrigues’ quick innings gave India the boost they needed at No. 3.
Rodrigues targeted Eden Carson, who was hammered for three fours in the 46th over, and was skilled at picking boundaries on either side of the wicket as well as rotating the strike.
