JOIN USNZ eves strike back to level series
After letting slip the advantage in the first match, New Zealand women held their nerve to post a three-wicket win against India in the second one-day international here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
Electing to bat, India eves disappointed yet again but managed a slightly better score of 163 all out in 49.3 overs, thanks to a fine half-century from Thirush Kamini.
In response, helped by a few healthy partnerships, the visiting batswomen knocked down the target in 44.2 overs to level the five-match series 1-1.
With this win, New Zealand gained two points and jumped to the sixth place while India dropped two places to bring up the bottom at eighth spot. New Zealand will go joint fourth in the table if they win the 3rd ODI scheduled on Friday.
Earlier, India went in with a new opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Kamini, who replaced Veda Krishnamurthy in the line-up.
After a cautious start, which saw them score 33 runs in the first 11 overs, India once again lost Smriti (12) cheaply.
Kamini, who started her innings in an edgy fashion, slowly found her going smooth and forged a 35-run alliance with skipper Mithali Raj.
Mithali (13) looked fluent in her brief stay, slamming three boundaries and appeared set for a big innings, when her counterpart Suzie Bates dismissed her to bring the White Ferns back in the game.
Kamini kept India’s scoreboard ticking at the other end and the left-hander brought up her fifty in 71 balls. At 94 for two in the 30 overs, India suffered a double blow when Poonam Raut was dismissed for eight and Kamini returned to the pavilion, retired hurt. The 24-year old, batting on 59, attempted a slog sweep and suffered a calf muscle cramp.
The New Zealand bowlers then kept up the pressure with skipper Bates leading from the front (3/21). Bates removed Sneh Rana (2) and Kamini (61), who still looked in discomfort, after returning to bat.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s 31 and a late flourish from Ekta Bisht (18 n.o.) helped India cross the 150 run-mark.
New Zealand were jolted early when skipper Bates was bowled by Jhulan Goswami but Rachel Priest (21) and veteran Amy Satterthwaite (23) steadied the ship. India bounced back strongly in the 12th over, when Amy Satterthwaite was run out for 23, thanks to a direct hit from Mithali while Maddie Green (0) was caught plumb in front off Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
But a 49-run fifth wicket alliance between Sophie Devine (33) and Katie Perkins (30) took New Zealand closer to victory. With only 46 runs to defend, Ekta Bisht produced two quick wickets, the crucial ones of Sophie and Perkins.
Some sloppy performance from wicketkeeper Kalpana Ravi that included a missed stumping opportunity and a dropped catch, eased the pressure off New Zealand.
INDIA: Smirti Mandhana b Kasperek 12 , MD Tirush Kamini c Priest b Bates 61, Mithali Raj lbw Bates 13, Poonam Raut lbw Tahuhu 8, Harmanpreet Kaur c Bates b Devine 31, Shikha Pandey c Bates b Kasperek 2, Jhulan Goswami lbw Tahuhu 1, Sneh Rana c Priest b Bates 2, Ekta Bisht (not out) 18, Kalpana Ravi b Nielsen 1, Rajeshwari Gayakwad (run out) 2, Extras (B-1, LB-1, W-4, NB-6) 12, Total (all out, in 49.3 overs) 163.
Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-68, 3-94, 4-106, 5-118, 6-123, 7-131, 8-150, 9-159.
Bowling: Lea Tahuhu 9-2-29-2, Sophie Devine 8.3-1-30-1, Kate Broadmore 4-1-14-0, Leigh Kapserek 10-3-22-2, Morna Nielson 6-0-35-1, Amy Satterthwaite 6-1-10-0, Suzie Bates 6-0-21-3.
NEW ZEALAND: Suzie Bates b Goswami 1, Rachel Priest c Raj b Rajeshwari 21, Amy Satterthwaite (run out) 23, Maddie Green lbw Rajeshwari 0, Sophie Devine st Kalpana b Bisht 33, Katie Perkins c Mithali b Bisht 30, Leigh Kasperek (not out) 17, Kate Broadmore b Goswami 1, Anna Peterson (not out) 23, Extras (LB-1, W-14) 15, Total (for 7 wkts, 44.2 overs) 164. Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-46, 3-46, 4-68, 5-117, 6-129, 7-132.
Bowling: Jhulan Goswami 10-3-14-2, Shikha Pandey 5-0-28-0, Ekta Bisht 9-1-31-2, Sneh Rana 5-0-35-0, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 9.2-0-33-2, Harmanpreet Kaur 6-0-22-0.