Summary: 3rd ODI – Smriti Mandhana’s top knock powers India to a series win over West Indies
Smriti Mandhana returned to the squad with a bang as she powered India to victory in the 3rd ODI at Antigua. Her 63-ball 74 ensured that India chase the target set by West Indies comfortably and win the series 2-1 after losing the 1st ODI match.
The toss was won by West Indies Women who elected to bat first. Opener Hayley Matthews scored 26 off 39 while Stacy-Ann King made 38 in the middle. The star of the innings was Stafanie Taylor who played a crucial knock. Taylor who has been brilliant the whole series showed her class with the bat again. She made a half-ton and stayed till the 48th over. She was dismissed by Poonam Yadav when she was on 79 off 112. After she fell, there was no resistance shown from the Windies side as they bundled in the last over. West Indies made 194 runs losing all their wickets.
Credit must go to the Indian bowlers for their opposition’s collapse. Jhulan Goswami and Poonam Yadav shared 4 wickets among them while Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Deepti Sharma scalped one each.
India Women started the chase with a lot of promise as the pair of regular openers were back. Smriti Mandhana, who had been nursing a toe injury, was back in the playing XI for this ODI. She had a terrific return as she made a half-century to ensure that India has a smooth chase. Her 63-ball 74 was studded with 9 fours and 3 sixes and complemented Jemimah Rodrigues’ 69 which came in 92 balls. Rodrigues, who was dismissed on a duck in the last match, seemed to have found her rhythm back with Smriti onboard. They both stitched a 141-run partnership for the first wicket and took the game away from the hosts. Punam Raut and captain Mithali Raj then made 24 and 20 runs respectively. Deepti Sharma guided the team home with a boundary in the first ball of the 43rd over.
India Women chased the score but lost 4 wickets in the process. Hayley Matthews took 3 wickets while Afy Fletcher took one.
India won the game by 6 wickets. Thus they win the 3 match ODI series 2-1 after getting defeated in the first match. Smriti Mandhana was awarded the Player of the Match award while Stafanie Taylor’s consistent performance earned her the Player of the Series prize.
West Indies Women: 194 all-out in 50 overs
India Women: 195/4 in 42.1 overs
Match Result: India Women won by 6 wickets
Player of the Match: Smriti Mandhana 74(63)
Player of the Series: Stafanie Taylor
Series Result: India Women 2-1 West Indies Women
India and West Indies meet again on 9th November for the first T20I of the 5-match series.
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