India Women had the chance to sweep the ODI series, and they seized it with a commanding five-wicket win over West Indies in the third match at Vadodara. Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma starred with the ball, while Deepti also shone with the bat during the chase. India capped off their year with a dominant series victory. Deepti was named Player of the Match for her all-round brilliance, and Renuka received the Player of the Series award after taking 10 wickets.
West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews won the toss and chose to bat first. India handed Tanuja Kanwar her ODI debut. On a foggy morning, Renuka exploited the conditions perfectly, dismissing Qiana Joseph, Matthews, and Deandra Dottin in her first three overs. Her two lethal inswingers to Matthews and Dottin left fans in awe and the visitors struggling. Shemaine Campbelle and Chinelle Henry steadied the innings with a 91-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Campbelle fell four runs short of a fifty when Deepti struck. Henry played some delightful shots but was dismissed for 61, again by Deepti, who went on to claim a stunning six-wicket haul for 31 runs in 10 overs—her second six-wicket haul in women’s ODIs. Aaliyah Alleyne added 21 runs, but West Indies were bowled out for 162 in 38.5 overs. Renuka picked up the remaining four wickets. India’s batters, in good form from the earlier games, were expected to chase the target comfortably. However, the visitors made early inroads, using the conditions to their advantage.
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Alleyne struck first, dismissing Smriti Mandhana for just 4. Mandhana’s fine run of form ended as she mistimed a drive, with Ashmini Munisar taking a sharp catch at cover-point. Dottin bowled with precision, delivering two maidens in her first three overs, and dismissing Harleen Deol, who batted at No. 3 after a sensational century in the previous game. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur looked positive, hitting some crisp shots, but Pratika Rawal fell for 18, giving Matthews her first wicket. India were suddenly 56 for 3 after 10 overs.
Afy Fletcher then dismissed Harmanpreet for 32 off 22 balls, putting more pressure on the hosts. However, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti steadied the innings with a crucial 56-run partnership for the fifth wicket. After Jemimah departed for 29, Deepti remained calm, finishing unbeaten on 39. Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touch with a quickfire 23 not out off 11 balls. India chased down the target in 28.2 overs, winning with five wickets in hand. India’s next challenge is a home T20I series against Ireland, starting on January 10, 2025.
Brief Scores: West Indies 162/10 in 38.5 overs (Chinelle Henry 61, Deepti Sharma 6/31) lost to India 167/5 (Deepti Sharma 39*, Hayley Matthews 1/31) in 28.2 overs by five wickets.
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