Hayley Matthews delivered an outstanding all-round performance in the second women’s T20I, as the West Indies defeated India by nine wickets at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
After restricting the hosts to 159, Hayley’s unbeaten 85-run knock blew them away. The series is tied 1-1, with one match remaining. Hayley’s effort earned her the Player of the Match award.
Hayley won the toss and opted to bowl. For India, Smriti Mandhana led the team because Harmanpreet Kaur was out with a knee niggle sustained while batting in the previous game. The Windies made two changes, bringing in off-spinner Ashmini Munisar and debutant all-rounder Nerissa Crafton. For India, all-rounder Raghvi Bist from Uttarakhand received her maiden cap from Harmanpreet.
India made a poor start, in a complete contrast to their previous game. The visitors executed their plans perfectly under Hayley’s smart captaincy, especially during the power play. The hosts lost two wickets and managed only 35 runs in the first six overs. Uma Chetry (4) and Jemimah Rodrigues (13) fell cheaply. Debutant Raghvi also couldn’t make an impact and was dismissed for just five.
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Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma steadied the innings, adding 56 runs in just 34 balls. Smriti produced a solid 62 off 41 balls but was eventually dismissed after being dropped three times. She tried a ramp shot over the wicketkeeper, but Afy Fletcher took the catch safely this time.
Richa Ghosh started with a boundary, but a mix-up led to a horrible run-out for Deepti, leaving the experienced all-rounder frustrated. Richa counterattacked with powerful shots, scoring 32 at a strike rate of 188.23. She was dismissed after an incredible diving catch by wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle. India finished at 159/9.
For the visitors, Deandra Dottin was exceptional, taking two wickets for just 14 runs in four overs. She also took a fantastic catch to dismiss Radha Yadav. Fletcher, Hayley and Chinelle Henry picked up two wickets each.
India’s bowlers had a nightmare start as Qiana Joseph and Hayley smashed them all around the park. Saima Thakor gave India a breakthrough in the seventh over, dismissing Qiana for 38 off 22 balls with a well-executed slower delivery. By then, the West Indies were flying at 76/1 in just eight overs.
Smriti tried to rotate her bowlers, but Hayley was unstoppable. She dominated the attack, hitting boundaries at will. She remained unbeaten on 85 off just 47 balls, while Shemaine Campbelle supported her with 29*. The pair chased down the target comfortably in 15.4 overs with nine wickets in hand.
Brief Score: India W 159/9 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 62, Deandra Dottin 18/2 in four overs) gets defeated by West Indies W 160/1 in 15.4 overs (Hayley Matthews 85*, Saima Thakor 28/1 in three overs) by nine wickets