Fiveties Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine leave India chasing 260 -

India’s Radha Yadav stood out, taking four wickets and making two stunning catches.

New Zealand 259 for 9 (Devine 79, Bates 58, Radha 4-69) versus India

Radha Yadav resembled a planet which could plunge two or three thousand miles into another’s circle, and discover everything. Deepti Sharma, on the other hand, was prone to grabbing anything that came her way. On a mixed day for India on the field, Radha took two stunning catches and a straightforward return take off her own bowling, while Deepti dropped three.

All of that, along with half-centuries from opening batter Suzie Bates (58) and Sophie Devine (79), helped New Zealand post 259 runs on a slow but flat pitch in Ahmedabad. Georgia Plimmer (41) and Maddy Green (42), in addition to the two senior batters’ scores, made important contributions as New Zealand played out an innings divided by play into four different sections.

The first of those saw total mastery by their openers Bates and Plimmer. In the first 15 overs, the two of them combined to smash 13 fours and a six, by which time New Zealand had steadily reached 87. The New Zealand openers mostly used timing and placement rather than force and power during that time. But what stood out was Bates’ flicked four off Saima Thakor in the next over: She gently guided the ball to the fine-leg boundary after merely waiting for it to reach her pads.

Harmanpreet Kaur, who returned to the team after missing the first ODI due to a niggle, introduced spin in that phase in the sixth over. Even though Deepti Sharma dropped a catch off her own bowling to give Plimmer a life on 16 in the tenth over, that had no effect on New Zealand’s momentum. Priya Mishra, a debut legspinner, was launched by Plimmer for six and four in her first over as a result.

In the 16th over, Radha made the breakthrough with the first of her two great catches. She moved quickly to her right after being placed at midwicket and dived full stretch to catch Plimmer for 41 off Deepti. That began a 12-over run in which New Zealand only scored 34 runs and lost three wickets. Lauren Down was short at the non-striker’s end in the 21st over after Bates reached fifty, but one of her drives down the ground deflected off Mishra’s hands.

Priya Mishra got her first ODI wicket when Radha Yadav caught Bates and bowled him for 58 in the 27th, but Devine held strong at the other end. That sparked a period of play during which New Zealand gained control. They scored 84 runs in the subsequent 17 overs and only lost one wicket. Devine cut, flicked, and pulled for boundaries, but Radha’s fielding effort again in the 32nd over stunned New Zealand. She sprinted and dived at full speed, now at extra cover, to score eight on Brooke Halliday.

However, Devine and Green made certain that India did not win the game. They continued to move steadily, with Devine overturning a 36-year-old lbw decision against her. She reached fifty off 65 balls in the 41st over, laying the groundwork for a solid conclusion. Green drove, ramped, and flicked Thakor for consecutive boundaries in the 45th over as New Zealand scored 55 runs in the last six overs.

Radha had Green hole out to long-off in the next over, but New Zealand won with a six from Devine and boundaries from Jess Kerr. Radha finished with 4 for 69, two of which came in the final over.
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