By: BCCI
India cantered to a nine-wicket win to clinch the five-match ODI series 3-2 in Bangalore on Wednesday. The Jhulan Goswami-led attack bowled New Zealand out for 118 after Suzie Bates opted to bat in the series decider.
While the pacer claimed two for 17, Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked two for 15 and Deepti Sharma took two for 22. Thirushkamini then took the home team to the target with an unbeaten 62 along with Sharma (44*). They shared an unbroken 103-run stand.
Earlier, the White Ferns skipper strove to hold the innings and took the team past three-figure mark with a determined 42. She had lost her opening partner Rachel Priest to a run out without a run on the board at the end of the first over.
Amy Satterthwaite was the next to depart after contributing just five runs to the total; edging Goswami to the wicketkeeper. Sophie Devine who then came to the crease partnered with Bates to stitch a partnership of 49 runs as they looked to rebuild the tottering innings and set the hosts’ a respectable target.
Devine lofted Sharma over long-off for six as they kept the scoreboard moving steadily until the middle-order bat was trapped lbw by Harmanpreet Kaur.
After the end of the third-wicket stand, the visitors struggled to build partnerships. 17 runs later Gayakwad got the better of Katie Perkins while Maddie Green hit the ball back to the bowler in her next. With the team on 80 for five, Leigh Kasperek joined the opener in the middle. She cut Sharma to the fence to get off the mark but was run out for five a bit later. The captain then took the team past 100 with Anna Peterson before her opposite number took a diving catch to send Bates back off Ekta Bisht.
With the captain back in the dressing-room the rest of the last three wickets fell for the addition of 17 runs to the total with nine overs still remaining in the innings. Kate Broadmore lost her stumps to Goswami while Sharma accounted Lea Tuhuhu and Peterson to warp-up the NZ innings.
After the bowlers put India in a commanding position, the batswomen ensured that the hosts coasted to the target without any hiccups. Chasing the sub-par total, Smriti Mandhana struck Tuhuhu for three successive boundaries in the second over; but the opener handed a return catch to Morna Neilsen in the next. However, Thirushkamini took the home team to 27 for one with Sharma until lunch was taken.
Continuing from where they had left, the pair collected runs off the opposition on resuming the innings after the break. Sharma smacked Nielsen past mid-on for four and then swept Kasperek to the fence to set the tone for the partnership. A while later the opener struck Satterthwhite for four consecutive boundaries to get the momentum going. There was no looking back for the hosts from there on as the pair milked the NZ bowlers. With victory in sight, Thirushkamini brought-up fifty of the partnership with a boundary to third-man. The final runs came off a dropped catch in the 28th over.
