Tag: Seals

VADODARA: Harleen Deol slammed a coming-of-age maiden hundred (115, 103b, 16×4) as India staved off a fighting century (106, 109b, 13×4) by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews to score a convincing 115-run win in the second match at the Kotambi Stadium here and seal the Women’s ODI series 2-0, with the third match, a day game on Friday, now a mere formality.
The WODI series win, along with the 2-1 the preceding WT20Is against West Indies, is a massive confidence-booster for the Indian women’s team, after they were walloped 3-0 by the Aussies earlier this month.

While Deol led the charge to India’s second consecutive 300-plus total in this series, fine knocks by young opener Pratika Rawal (76, 86b, 10×4, 1×6), who stroked her maiden half-century while playing just her second WODI, in-form vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (53, 47b, 7×4, 2×6) and Jemimah Rodrigues (52, 36b, 6×4, 1×6) helped India score an imposing 358 for five after they decided to bat first. In signature style, ‘keeper-batter Richa Ghosh finished the innings with consecutive fours off Qiana Joseph as India equalled their highest-ever total in this format.
Chasing the highest-ever total made against them, West Indies crumbled easily at the start, and were tottering at 69 for four in the 17th over, before Matthews added 112 off 102 balls for the fifth wicket with ‘keeper-batter Shemaine Campbelle (38, 48, 5×4), but the partnership ended when the latter was caught superbly by Mandhana at cover in the 34th over off seamer Titas Sadhu. It was all over bar the shouting for the visitors when Rodrigues pulled off a stunner at deep mid-wicket, running and diving in front of her to grasp the ball to end Matthews’ heroic knock.

Emerging as India’s find of this series, Rawal rounded off a fine outing by taking two wickets with her useful part-time spin and taking two catches, the second a superb effort at backward point. While leggie Priya Mishra (3-49 in 9.2 overs) was the most successful bowler for India, the hosts’ bowling and fielding was top class on the night.
Deol has been around in international cricket for more than five and a half years now. However, in 14 WODIs and 31 innings in international cricket, all the 26-year-old had to show was three fifties, with a highest score of 77. The Chandigarh batter now holds the honour of scoring the first century at the state-of-the-art Kotambi Stadium.
Making the most of a reprieve while batting on 26 as a leaping Deandra Dottin as square leg spilled her chance off off-spinner Karishma Ramharack, Deol went berserk in the 45th over, peppering Dottin for three fours through fine leg, point and behind point to move into the 90s, and then reached her 98-ball century with a nicely-timed boundary between fine leg and deep backward square leg off pacer Shamilia Connell in the 47th over. She then celebrated her ton by hitting two more fours-upper cutting and smashing the ball over the bowler’s head. Connell’s 21-run over also saw her bowling five wides.
To add to their woes, a profligate West Indies conceded 25 extras, and bowled as many as 17 wides.
Earlier, Rawal and Mandhana provided just the third instance of an Indian opening pair putting on a 100-plus runs stand in back-to-back WODIs when they added 110 in 99 balls to give India the ideal platform for a massive score. In the form of her life in 2024, Mandhana cracked her six straight half-century across formats. Enjoying a purple, or perhaps golden patch, the stylish left-hander has scored 1655 runs in international cricket in 2024-the most by any batter ever. In the ODIs, the opener has scored 743 runs in 123 matches@61.91, with four centuries, in this calendar year
Mandhana sacrificed her wicket for Rawal, who was nearing her first half-century, after she was run out while going for a risky second run. In what made for a poignant moment, the senior batter patted her partner’s back, who too had tried to sacrifice her wicket for Mandhana, before trudging back to the pavilion.
Clearly more confident after her impressive 69-ball 40-run outing on debut in the opening WODI, Rawal was far more aggressive this time, reaching her maiden international fifty off 58 balls.
The youngster from Delhi added 62 in 75 balls with Deol. However, there was no respite for the West Indies as Rodrigues and Deol went ballistic in a 116-run stand for the fourth wicket in just 71 balls. Rodrigues, who scored a 34-ball half-century, pummeled James for four fours in the 46th over.