Smriti Mandhana (123) and Harmanpreet Kaur (109) both scored individual hundreds against West Indies Women to propel India to a massive score of 317-8 in 50 overs.
Chasing 317, West Indies went all guns blazing in the first ten overs, but a horrible batting collapse saw them winding up on a measly score of 162.
Here’s how the events unfolded:
Yastika Bhatia became the fuel to power Indian innings in the first 6 overs. She scored a quickfire 31 off 21, while Mandhana anchored the innings from the other end.
Following Yastika, Mithali Raj and Deepti Sharma failed to make any mark in the game. India was reduced to 78-3 in 14 overs when Harmanpreet Kaur joined Mandhana in the middle.
The duo exerted a cautious approach to steer clear of any further damage and continued knocking the ball around for one ones and twos.
When settled, both Smriti and Kaur went hard at West Indian bowlers to spur their strike rates past 100 in a crucial contest. Mandhana scored her 2nd hundred at ODI World Cups and 5th in the International One-Day matches.
Mandhana was removed on 123 by Shamila Connell but only after the highest partnership for India in ICC Women’s World Cups. The duo of Kaur and Smriti added a humungous 184 runs for the 4th wicket.
Mandhana’s dismissal only made Harmanpreet Kaur more dangerous as she took matters into her hands and overpowered the Caribbean bowlers. She became the first Indian Women Cricketer to have three scores of above hundred in the ODI World Cups.
Kaur scored 109, including 10 fours and 2 sixes, as India posted 317-8 on the board.
India seal a big 155-run win over West Indies 💪#CWC22 pic.twitter.com/0VFyqxxnuB
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 12, 2022
Chasing 318, Deandra Dottin and Hayley Mathews obliterated the Indian bowling line-up in the first ten overs. The duo formed a hundred run stand for the first wicket in just 12.2 overs.
Sneh Rana removed both the dangerous openers in the span of 6 overs, and West Indies crumbled from 100 for no loss to 162 all out in 40.3 overs.
Jhulan Goswami became the bowler with the most wickets in ICC Women’s World Cup, surpassing Lyn Fallston of Australia. She now has 40 scalps registered to her name in the tournament’s history.
