Women's cricket: India

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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.

Asia Cup

2022

India beats Thailand in SF

Oct 14, 2022: The Times of India

Sylhet: A dominant India crushed minnows Thailand by 74 runs to storm into the final and remain on course for a record-extending seventh women’s Asia Cup title. The Indians now face Sri Lanka for the title. In the other semifinal, Sri Lanka edged past Pakistan by one run in a thriller.


The win over Thailand took India to their eighth straight Asia Cup final — four each in ODI and T20 formats. Before 2012, the tournament was a 50-over-a-side affair. India posted 148 for six before restricting Thailand to 74 for 9 in the lop-sided contest. Thailand were never in the hunt but fared much better than their previous outing against India in the league stage, where they were crushed by nine wickets after being bundled out for just 37 runs in 15. 1 overs.

Thailand were reduced to 21 for 4 in the eighth over. Deepti Sharma (3/7) did most of the damage with her off-spin, picking up the first three Thai wickets — Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham and Sornnarin Tippoch.


Captain Naruemol Chaiwai (21) and Nattaya Boochatham (21) showed some resistance with the bat with a 42-run stand for the fifth wicket but the asking rate was too high. And, once the duo departed, the Indians ran through Thailand lower-order batting line-up. Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/10) too played a crucial role for India.


Earlier, Shafali Verma top-scored for India with a 28-ball 42 (5x4, 1x6). Together with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Shafali shared 38 runs in 4. 3 overs before the former hit a low full toss from Phannita Maya to On nicha Kamchomphu at mid-on.

Shafali was the next to go, caught by Thailand skipper Naruemol Chaiwai off Sornnarin Tippoch. Jemimah Rodrigues (27) followed before off-spinner Tippoch bagged two wickets in successive overs to reduce India to 132 for 5 in the 18th over.

First, she had Richa Ghosh leg before. An over later, she got the big wicket of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.

SCORES: India 148/6 (Shafali 42, Harmanpreet 36; Tippoch 3/24) bt Thailand 74/9 (Naruemol 21, Nattaya 21; Deepti 3/7). Sri Lanka 122/6 (Anushka 26, Harshitha 35; Nashra 3-17) bt Pakistan 121/6 (Bismah 42, Nida 26; Inoka 2-17).

AGENCIES

India wins the title

Oct 16, 2022: The Times of India

Sylhet : India maintained their dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup with an eight-wicket demolition of a selfdestructing Sri Lanka in the final here on Saturday for their seventh title in eight editions. Sri Lanka, who were playing their first tournament final in 14 years, imploded after opting to bat on a slow and turning pitch. They could only manage 65 for nine which India knocked off in 8. 3 overs. Smriti Mandhana struck a sublime 51 not out off 25 balls. 


It was a procession after Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu got run out in the third over following a mix up with Anushka Sanjeewani who too got run out six balls later.


Renuka, who has been in top form since the Commonwealth Games in August, sent back Hasini Perera on the very first ball she faced. The lefthander checked her shot only to be caught at cover, leaving Sri Lanka at nine for four.


The Sri Lankans were in dire need of a partnership but Kavisha Dilhari’s fall made it 16 for five as she was bowled while trying to play an incoming delivery from Renuka across the line. 
Rajeshwari Gayakwad got her first wicket after Nilakshi de Silva played on to her stumps while trying to cut a ball close to her body. At 32 for eight, being bowled out for a sub-50 total was very much on the cards, but Ranaweera saved them from that ignominy with an unbeaten 18 off 22 balls.


The Indians bowled with discipline but poor shot selection contributed more to Sri Lanka’s steep slide. After a memorable win over Pakistan in the semifinals, it seemed the occasion got the better of Sri Lanka. 


India lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues cheaply in the run chase. However, both the batters did well in the tournament, with Shafali getting back to form and Jemimah making asuccessful comeback from injury.


The elegant Mandhana played some exquisite strokes on way to completing the formality alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (11 not out off 14). Smriti’s effort included three sixes and six boundaries. Fittingly, she sealed the win with a maximum off Oshadi Ranasinghe.


The win is a shot in the arm for India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup next year.

They were able to test players for different roles during thecompetition, though that also contributed to their only loss in the tournament, against Pakistan in the league stage.


The Indians took a lap of the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and, in a fine gesture, got clicked with the entire groundstaff after their triumph, which was witnessed by a sizeable turnout. 


PTI


Brief scores: India 71 for 2 (Mandhana 51*) beat Sri Lanka 65 for 9 (Ranaweera 18, Renuka 3-5, Rana 2-13) by eight wickets

Brand endorsements

As in 2018

John Sarkar, Women cricketers score in brand arena, November 26, 2018: The Times of India

Ink Lucrative Deals, Endorsements With Cos

It’s not just the playing pitch that Indian women cricketers are making a mark on. Off the field, too, they are raking in the moolah. At least three top players — Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur — have signed lucrative endorsement contracts. From peddling fruit juice and flaunting Australian diamonds to promoting cab aggregators and sporting shoe brands — they are doing it all.

Classy Raj has inked a deal with New Zealand-based bat maker Laver & Wood apart from playing brand ambassador for US cab-hailing company Uber and Rio Tinto’s Australian diamonds. Sources said the bat deal is worth Rs 20 lakh. Her teammate, 22-yearold Mandhana has the country’s largest bike maker Hero MotoCorp sponsoring her bat and European footwear retailer Bata has picked her as a brand ambassador. Mandhana, sources said, could be charging anywhere between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 50 lakh per year for an endorsement.

That’s not all. Kolkata-headquartered conglomerate ITC chose Indian T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur as the brand ambassador for its juice brand B Natural to push deeper into Punjab. Kaur, who hails from Moga in the northern state, charges around Rs 10 lakh a day for ad shoots and Rs 15-20 lakh per year for endorsing apparel and footwear, sources said. Tyre maker Ceat, which is one of the heavyweight bat sponsors with top cricketers such as Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane on its payroll, has also signed up Kaur.

Even teenaged batting sensation Jemima Rodrigues has signed up with the Kiwi batmaker Laver & Wood.

“The team’s top-class performance at the global level has made women’s cricket popular among the game’s fans in the country,” said a Hero MotoCorp spokesperson. “Thanks to their consistent performances and the live telecast of the matches, players such as Mithali, Smriti and Harmanpreet have become household names, in the process immensely enhancing their brand value.”

There could be more deals in store. “We already have several individuals from the Indian team being recognised by brands as fit to endorse their products,” said Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport, which manages Virat Kohli.

Companies are finding new ways of cashing in on the grassroots popularity of these cricketers. “A campaign featuring Kaur, which ran as a state-level contest, became a platform to identify and celebrate honest talent among girl children across Punjab in the cities of Bhatinda, Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh,” said an ITC spokesperson. He added, “There was an overwhelming response with 6,431 students participating in events across domains like knowledge, arts and sports. Winners will now compete for becoming the final ‘Harman XI’ in the state-level finals to be held next year.”

The riches did not come overnight. In a country dominated by male cricket lovers who enjoy watching the men’s team play, these women had to up their ante to compete for eyeballs. “The girls have taken a lot of effort off the field,” said current fielding coach of the Andhra Pradesh team Munish Bali, who has spent time training the Indian women’s national cricket team. “They are much fitter now.”

Coaches

2014- 23 February

Manuja Veerappa, February 25, 2023: The Times of India

Over the past decade, the BCCI has played musical chairs with successive chief coaches of the women’s cricket team. Since 2014, when former skipper Purnima Rau was brought in, three others —Tushar Arothe, WV Raman and Ramesh Powar – have also coached the side. Most often, the coaches have exited in the run-up to ICC events. Less than two months before the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup, Powar was moved out and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, first named the batting coach, was eventually made the stand-in chief coach in South Africa. TOI takes a look at the coaches who were at the helm and then exited suddenly. . .


PURNIMA RAU: Following India’s 2014 T20 World Cup first-round exit, Rau was replaced by Sudha Shah only to be brought back after two series. From 2015-17, India thrived with their first-ever series win over Australia, the Asia Cup title triumph and qualification for the World Cup. But barely two months before the 2017 World Cup, Rau was sacked and Tushar Arothe brought in.


TUSHAR AROTHE: Arothe, an experienced coach and former Baroda player, first came into the set up in 2013 and the tenure lasted a year. He returned to guide the team to the 2017 50-over World Cup final but was again given the short end of the stick and exited the following year.


WV RAMAN: An astute reader of the game, Raman’s appointment in 2018 brought about a lot of changes in the team. Under the former India batter, the team reached the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup. Instead of retaining him, the BCCI replaced Raman with Ramesh Powar.


RAMESH POWAR: In 2018, his tenure was marred by differences with then skipper Mithali Raj which resulted in BCCI not renewing his contract. Back with the team in 2021, he guided them at the 2022 ODI World Cup, Asia Cup and Commonwealth Games. He was surprisingly moved to the National Cricket Academy last December.

International rankings

T20I

Winners, 2009-18

March 6, 2020: The Times of India

The Winners of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, 2009-18
From: March 6, 2020: The Times of India

Indian Women Make First-Ever T20 World Cup Title Clash After Washout In Semis; To Face Aussies

Sydney:

An unbeaten run in the group stage propelled India into their first Women’s T20 World Cup final after their last-four clash against England was washed out, prompting both captains to say that reserve days are essential for knockout clashes.

India will face Australia in the final. In the night semifinal at the same venue, Australia beat South Africa under the Duckworth-Lewis system after rain delayed the start of their match.

Persistent rain since morning delayed the toss and eventually the semifinal was called off without a ball being bowled, taking Indians into the summit clash and leaving England players in tears.

RESERVE-DAY CONTROVERSY

“Really frustrating. Not how we wanted the World Cup to finish for us. No reserve day, no chance of getting play, and ultimately that loss against South Africa cost us,” a dejected England captain Heather Knight said after the game was abandoned.

Her India counterpart Harmanpreet Kaur also agreed that the semifinals should have had a reserve day, a request which was made by host Cricket Australia but turned down by the ICC. “Unfortunate we didn’t get a game, but there are rules and we have to follow it. Having reserve days in the future will be a great idea,” said Kaur. Knight said her team paid the price for not starting the tournament well.

“It’s all very English isn’t it, talking about the weather and getting knocked out. It felt that we gained a bit of momentum in the last few games and we were pumped up for the semifinal,” she added.

“Lessons are to win the first game I guess (laughs). It’s become a trend, not to start well in tournaments, and that has cost us.”

‘EVERYBODY IN GREAT TOUCH’

India topped Group A with four victories in as many matches while England finished second in Group B with three wins and a defeat. “From day one, we knew we had to win all the games because in case the semis don’t happen, that would be hard for us. In that sense, credit to the team for winning all the games,” said Kaur.

“Everybody is looking in great touch — Shafali (Verma) and Smriti (Mandhana). They are giving us good starts, and that helps. Me and Smriti are trying to spend more time in the nets,” she said. PTI

From MAIDEN FINAL

2020 March: Shafali no.1, 3 Indians in Top Ten

March 4, 2020: The Times of India

2020 March: Shafali was the no.1 batswoman in T20Is, and there were 3 Indians in the Top Ten
From: March 4, 2020: The Times of India

Teenage Indian batting sensation Shafali Verma rose to the top spot in the ICC women's T20 International rankings, riding on her stellar run at the ongoing World Cup.

The 16-year-old Verma takes over from New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had been the top batter since October 2018 after wresting the spot from West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.

However, Smriti Mandhana has slipped a couple of rungs to sixth in the latest list.

Verma's explosive batting at the top of the order saw her score 161 runs in four innings, including knocks of 47 and 46 against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. It helped her become only the second India batter after Mithali Raj to top the women's T20I batting rankings, according to an ICC statement.

Among the Indian bowlers, Poonam Yadav is up four places to eighth after a good run in World Cup.

Some valiant performances from Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu have seen her move from 18th to 14th spot for batters.

Other bowlers to advance include new-ball bowler Diana Baig of Pakistan (up 34 places to 13th), Shashikala Siriwardena of Sri Lanka (up seven places to 14th), Anya Shrubsole of England (up five places to 17th), Dane van Niekerk of South Africa (up 12 places to joint-22nd) and Shikha Pandey of India (up 23 places to joint-22nd).

India's Deepti Sharma has advanced nine places to seventh, the first time that she is among the top 10 in the all-rounders' list after also moving up to 53rd among batters.

Records, statistics

ODIs

Batting

2000 ODI runs

Smriti becomes fastest Indian women to score 2000 ODI runs:

2019 Nov: Smriti Mandhana on Thursday became the fastest Indian women cricketer to smash 2,000 runs in ODIs. With 2,025 runs in 51 innings, Mandhana is also the third-fastest woman to reach the milestone. 

T20 World Cup

2024

Pakistan vs India: India won

Neha Surana, Oct 7, 2024: The Times of India

Hope flickers for the Women in Blue in the T20 World Cup, but only just. The Indian girls picked themselves up from the disappointment of a heavy defeat against New Zealand and beat Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. But it was far from convincing, and more importantly, there was no significant improvement in India’s Net Run Rate.


India notched up the victory target of 106 with six wickets to spare, but in the process they took 18.5 overs. It left their NRR at — 1.21 and they are fourth on the Group A table. With only two to qualify from a group of five, India will have to win their next two games against Sri Lanka and Australia handsomely and hope that New Zealand falter too.


Having said that, on Sunday it was a must-win game against Pakistan — a team that hasn’t exactly matched India in women’s cricket. The bowlers had laid the foundation for the win, with medium-pacer Arundhati Reddy leading the charge, picking up careerbest figures of 3-19. The other bowlers too kept it tight and the 58 dot balls stifled Pakistan.


However, India’s response with the bat wasn’t without hiccups. Opener Smriti Mandhana fell cheaply, and a sluggish powerplay left India at 25-1. But young opening batter Shafali Verma (32, 35b; 3x4) switched gears soon after, which helped India stay ahead in the asking rate.


The No. 3 spot in the Indian team has been an issue of discussion with Harmanpreet Kaur taking over the duties in the first game. On Sunday, it was Jemimah Rodrigues, who was promoted to the spot, and she found her rhythm quickly. Shafali and Jemimah added 43 runs (off 44 balls) for the second wicket, which got India on track. Just when it appeared that India were cruising, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana struck twice in two balls, briefly rattling India.


But, Harmanpreet (29, 24b 1x4), walking in at No. 4, stepped up and held the innings together, ensuring there were no further slip-ups. The Indian captain batted through the tense moments, but there was a late scare when she went down injured, with just two runs needed. S Sajana came in to complete the chase, guiding India to a nervy victory.


While the batters just about did their job, it’s the bowlers who deserve credit for this win. Seamer Arundhati was impeccable with his line and length, ensuring Pakistan never settled. “I have worked a lot on my T20 bowling. I just wanted to hit the stumps more, use my variations and slower ones. That worked for me,” 27-year-old Arundhati said after the win.


It began with pacer Renuka Singh, who struck in the very first over, sending back Gull Feroza with a sharp inswinger. And then Sidra Amin, one of the more experienced batters, was deceived by Deepti Sharma’s tossed-up offspinner, that spun back in, as Pakistan lost two crucial wickets in the powerplay.
Omaima Sohail and Muneeba Ali tried to rebuild the innings, but the pressure of dot balls mounted, and wickets continued to fall. At this point, Arundhati’s clever bowling accounted for Omaima, putting India firmly in control.
 Rising talent Shreyanka Patil (2-12), claimed her maiden World Cup wicket with a well-directed delivery that surprised Muneeba with extra bounce.


As Pakistan’s wickets tumbled, it was left to former skipper Nida Dar (28, 34b; 1x4) to anchor the innings. She held firm, but with little support from the other end, even her efforts couldn’t rescue the innings. Skipper Sana showed a brief glimpse of aggression with two consecutive boundaries, but her stay was cut short by a moment of brilliance from India’s wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, who plucked a one-handed stunner off Asha Sobhana’s bowling to remove her. By the time Syeda Aroob Shah and Nashra Sandhu added some useful runs towards the end, the damage had already been done.


Brief Scores: Pakistan 105-8 in 20 overs (Nida Dar 28, Muneeba Ali 17; Arundhati Reddy 3-19, Shreyanka Patil 2-12) v India 108-4 in 18.5 overs (Shafali Verma 32, Harmanpreet Kaur 29 retired hurt, Jemimah Rodrigues 23; Fatima Sana 2-23). Player-of-the-match: Arundhati Reddy

India fail to make the semi finals

Oct 15, 2024: The Times of India

Dubai: India were eliminated from the Women’s T20 World Cup after New Zealand scripted a commanding 54-run victory over Pakistan to reach the semifinals for the first time since the 2016 edition.


India’s only chance to make the semifinals was depended on a Pakistan win with an inferior net run-rate compared to theirs.
Pakistan were very much in the game after restricting New Zealand to a meagre 110 for six in 20 overs. However, Pakistan’s batting crumbled badly as they were shot out for 56 in just 11.4 overs as White Ferns entered the semifinals with three wins from four games in Group A. Australia topped the group with eight points while New Zealand came second with six points. The loss to New Zealand in their tournament opener effectively cost India a place in the last four.


Spinner Amelia Kerr took three wickets but it was seamers Lea Tahuhu (1/8) and Eden Carson (2/7) who opened the floodgates. Pakistan were supposed to reach the target in less than 12 overs to qualify but they ended up being all out before that.


Earlier, Pakistan bowlers gave a good account of themselves restricting New Zealand to a modest total. While openers Suzie Bates (28) and Georgia Plimmer (17) added 41 runs for the opening stand and just when it seemed that the duo has created a solid foundation, the Pakistani spinners suddenly applied the choke on the opposition. 
PTI

U- 19

2023

January 15, 2023: The Times of India

The Indian under-19 women’s team beat South Africa by 7 wickets in their World Cup match. Chasing SA’s 166/5, Shweta Sehrawat hit an unbeaten 92 off 57 balls as India reached the target in just 16. 3 overs.

In brief

January 30, 2023: The Times of India

➤Player of the match Titas Sadhu (2/6) and Archana Devi (2/17) struck early as England lurched from 22/4 to 68 all out — lowest in the final of any ICC tournament (men/ women) — in 17. 1 overs. India (69/3) wrapped up the match in 14 overs


➤Shweta Sehrawat (297 runs at an average of 99 in 7 matches), the top scorer in this WC, and Parshavi Chopra (11 wickets in 6 matches) shone for India


➤India is the only team to have won the men’s ODI World Cup, T20 WC, U-19 WC and women’s U-19 WC

2023: India wins the title

Arani Basu, January 30, 2023: The Times of India

India's top performers in 9-19 WC
From: Arani Basu, January 30, 2023: The Times of India

Scoreboard, U-19 World Cup, England vs India, Potchefstroom, South Africa
From: Arani Basu, January 30, 2023: The Times of India

Shafali Verma could not hold back tears while lifting the inaugural ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup trophy in Potchefstroom, South Africa on Sunday. When Soumya Tiwari punched Hannah Baker through covers to help India beat England by seven wickets while chasing just 69, it was the first time that an Indian women’s team has won an ICC trophy, indicating the impressive growth of women’s cricket in India.


For Shafali, already a seasoned international cricketer at 19, it brought back memories of the heartbreak in Melbourne three years ago when India took a beating at the hands of Australia in the T20World Cup final. “The final in 2020 was a very emotional moment for me. When I joined the U-19 team, I was only thinking that we need to win this World Cup. I am going to miss this batch. They have given me a perfect birthday gift,” Shafali, who turned 19 a day before the final, told the media.


Hopefully, this triumph proves to be a catalyst to the growth of women’s cricket atthe grassroots level. 


“Yes, women’s cricket has reached that point where young girls will have women cricketers as role models before naming men cricketers,” Shafali responded to a query from TOI. “BCCI has put a lot of money into women’s cricket. It’s our duty now to win more and more tournaments. Women’s cricket will grow tournament by tournament. We know we have to work hard to do that. But we have to be equally good as men’s cricket,” she added.


Shafali and Richa Ghosh, who have already played in senior World Cups, were supposed to carry this U-19 team on their shoulders. Instead, like Shafali mentioned, it was the likes of hard-hitting batter Shweta Sehrawat, leg-spinner Parshavi Chopra and medium-pacer Titas Sadhu who laid the foundation for this historic moment. Titas set the tone on Sunday by getting a wicket off the fourth ball of the match before finishing her spell with figures of 2/6. Parshavi and Archana Devi returned figures of 2/13 and 2/17 respectively.


The Indian girls were impressive in the field too, be it Gingadi Trisha’s catch divingforward to dismiss England captain Grace Scrivens at long off or Archana Devi’s stunner at extra-cover to dismiss Ryana MacDonald-Gay.


As much as this U-19 World Cup has been a stepping stone for young aspiring girls, it was a chance for the likes of Shafali and coach Nooshin Al Khadeer to settle scores. While Shafali made amends for the T20 final three years ago, Nooshin had also lost a World Cup final for India here in 2005. That was the first time an Indian women’s team had reached a World Cup final.


“I will take this confidence forward to the senior T20 World Cup here this month. I was not thinking about the senior World Cup during the U-19 World Cup. But I will be switched on when I join the senior team here on Feb 3,” Shafali claimed while asserting she is not done winning world titles. 


Women’s Big Bash League and Indian cricketers

2021

Till early Oct 2021 the following had been signed for the WBBL:

Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma (Sydney Thunder), Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav (Sydney Sixers), Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades); wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh (Hurricanes) to feature in this edition of the T20 league.

Women’s Emerging Asia Cup T20

2023

June 22, 2023: The Times of India

Mong Kok, Hong Kong: Spin duo of Shreyanka Patil and Mannat Kashyap starred with the ball after a sedate batting effort to guide the India U-23 team to the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup T20 title wi th a 31-run win over Bangladesh in the final. Electing to bat, India posted a modest 127 for seven before the bowlers rose to the occasion with Patil (4/13) and Kashyap (3/20) sharing seven wickets between them tobundle out Bangladesh for 96 in 19. 2 overs. 


Off-break bowler Kanika Ahuja (2/23) also chipped in with two wickets. It was complete spin show from the Indians with off-spinner Patil and slow left-arm orthodox Kashyap ruling the roost on a slowpitch. Sobhana Mostary and Nahida Akter scored 16 runs each, while Nahida Akter remained stranded on 17 not out for Bangladesh.


Earlier, Dinesh Vrinda (36 off 29) was the top-scorer for India, while Kanika Ahuja remained unbeaten on 30 off 23 balls. 
PTI

Women’s Premier League

2023

March 27, 2023: The Times of India

WPL Award winners 2023
From: Gaurav Gupta, March 28, 2023: The Times of India

See graphic:

WPL Award winners 2023

Mumbai Indians won the inaugural Women's Premier League title on March 26, after registering a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals at Brabourne stadium. Batting first, Team Delhi could only manage 131 runs in 20 overs. In response, Mumbai Indian achieved the target by losing just 3 wickets with 3 balls to spare.

1976-2016: the 3 biggest wins

The Times of India, March 13, 2016

India's record in Women's World Cup, 1973-2013; The Times of India, June 24, 2017

Avijit Ghosh

Test

Teams: India vs West Indies

Venue: Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna

Date: Nov 17, 18 & 19, 1976

It was a low-scoring Test and the scoring rate was excruciating slow. But on each day, Patna’s Moin-ul-Haq stadium was packed to its 25,000 capacity. In the end, India needed just 55 runs to win the game but were precariously perched at 25 for 5. Then women’s cricket legend Diana Edulji, then a debutant teenager armed with a devil-may-care attitude, took charge. Time and again she spanked the ball to the boundary. “I stepped out for the winning hit. But the ball was short and I swept it to the square-leg boundary,” recalls Edulji. Captain Shanta Rangaswamy vividly remembers the victory parade on a bus that crawled through the streets of Patna to the team hotel. “People were lined up on both sides, cheering us,” she says. For India, leg-spinner Shubhangi Kulkarni ended up with best match figures of seven for 57. Wicketkeeper batter Fowzieh Khalili’s 58 was the highest in the game. Brief scores: West Indies (127 & 88). India (161/9 dec & 55/5)

ODI

Teams: India vs New Zealand

Venue: Sedgar’s Park, Potchefstroom, South Africa

Date: April 7, 2005

Not many expected India to get past New Zealand, the defending champions, in an ODI World Cup semi-final. But there’s always a first. India put up a decent 204/6 in 50 overs with captain Mithali Raj leading from the front with an unbeaten 91 off 104 balls. Medium pacer Amita Sharma (3/24) and off-break bowler Nooshin al Khadeer (3/39) caused a Kiwi collapse for 164. “We got a lot of praise for that win,” recalls Raj. She has one regret though: There’s no video recording of that game. For the record, India lost in the final to Australia.

Brief scores: India 204/6 in 50 overs. New Zealand 164 all out in 43.4 overs

T20

Teams: India vs Australia

Venue: Adelaide Oval, Australia

Date; January 26, 2016

When Alicia Healey, niece of the great Australian gloveman Ian, launched a late blitzkrieg powering her team to 140, many thought the intervention was decisive. Only a record-breaking chase would have overhauled the target. But the Women in Blue had other ideas. Young Smriti Mandhana (29 off 25) and Veda Krishnamurthy (35 off 32) kept the target within sight. However, it required a special innings from Moga girl, Harmanpreet Kaur (46 off 31, strike rate: 148.38), to push the visitors past the total set up by the defending world champions. The win laid the basis for the 2-1 series triumph. If captain Mithali Raj’s Team India excel in the 2016 T20 World Cup, it would be fair to say, that’s where it all began.

2016

First T20 series win against Australia: I

January 29, 2016, was a historic day in India's cricket history and this time it was the women making the country proud. The Women in Blue defeated the defending World T20 champions Australia for the first time in a bilateral series in any format. The 2-0 win (in the three-match T20I series which ended 2-1) came at the MCG.

It took 30 years in the making and was much deserved for a team which hasn't looked back since. The progress, according to skipper Mithali Raj, is due to two significant developments in the women's game in India -the introduction of central contracts and television coverage of their first-class matches. “The contract system has played a huge role. The girls are more motivated now. The finances are taken care of and the BCCI also provides us good facilities in terms of the support staff and everything. Also, when domestic matches are televised, it's imperative to put up a good show,“ Mithali said.

Talents such as Smriti Mandhana, who is the first Indian to be selected in the ICC Women's Team of the Year, and Harmanpreet Kaur, who along with , Smriti became the first cricketers from India to play in a foreign T20 league, have brought much-deserved attention to women's cricket in India. The team proved their dominance with the sixth Asia Cup title in as many editions.

II

The Times of India, Jan 30 2016

Ehtesham Hasan

They waited for a central contract for long and when the BCCI finally obliged, the Indian women's team has started delivering great results. They clinched their first-ever T20 series against Australia, outclassing the hosts by 10 wickets (DL method) at the MCG. It was spectacular display by the Ladies in Blue as they not only outbatted, out-bowled but even outfielded the much athletic Southern Stars on their home turf. Two moments on the field typified their gallant display and it came from AnujaPatil. First was an outstanding catch she took of opener Beth Mooney by running backwards and then the run-out of Ellyse Perry when she swooped on the ball at mid-on and broke the stumps with a great throw.

2017

ODIs

May 16 2017, Indian women in record 320-run stand, The Times of India

The Indian women's crick et team scaled several new peaks when openers Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut put on a world-record 320-run opening stand during a mammoth 249run victory over Ireland in the women's quadrangular series ODI match in Senwes Park, Potchesfroom.

It's the biggest opening stand in ODIs not just for women but even for men.

India scored 3582 and Ireland, in reply , were all out for 109 in 40 overs, handing India's women their biggest victory in terms of runs in ODIs.

Deepti took just 160 balls to score 188 runs -the secondhighest individual score of all time in women's cricket while Poonam scored 109 during their record stand, which lasted 45.3 overs.

Deepti, who hit 27 fours and two sixes, is now India's highest scorer in women's cricket, second only to the alltime highest of 229 not out, scored by Australia's Belinda Clark against Denmark.

Deepti broke the Indian record scripted by Jaya Shar ma, who had scored 138 not out against Pakistan women in Karachi in 2005.

The Indian women's cricket team had not breached the 300-run mark in an one-dayer before this, with their previous highest being 2982 against the West Indies in 2004.

Before Deepti and Poonam's marathon stand, the record for the highest partnership in women's cricket belonged to England's Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins, who had put on 268 for the first wicket against South Africa in 2008.

With four victories from four matches, India are now the only unbeaten side in the tournament with wins over South Africa, Ireland (twice) and Zimbabwe. Ireland never looked in the chase as they scored the first fifty in 18.4 overs, losing the wicket of opener Leah Paul (13) in the 17th over. From there on, Ireland kept losing wickets and lost half their side in the 30th over for 75 runs. Their slide continued as they managed to bring up the team hundred in the 37th over before India quickly mopped up the tail.

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (418) scalped four wickets, while Shikha Pandey (316), who had provided the late charge with a 14-ball 27 for India, took three wickets. Earlier, Rachel Delaney (144) claimed the only wicket by an Ireland bowler when she ended Deepti's innings by cleaning up the opener in the 46th over.

Poonam too retired out in the last ball of that over. Ire land's poor show was reflected in the number of extras they conceded -26.

2018

Bangladesh beat India, win Women's Asia Cup

Bangladesh beat India to lift maiden Women's Asia Cup T20 title, June 10, 2018: The Times of India

HIGHLIGHTS

Bangladesh reached the target of 113 off the final delivery of the match

This is Bangladesh's maiden Women's Asia Cup title

With this defeat, India's run of six straight titles has come to an end

Bangladesh stunned India by three wickets in a last-ball finish to win their maiden Women's Asia Cup T20 title at the Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. Chasing 113, Bangladesh reached the target off the final delivery to record a historic title win over the defending champions India.

Bangladesh began their chase on a solid footing with the opening pair of Ayasha Rahaman (17) and Shamima Sultana (16) adding 33 in the Powerplay overs. Poonam Yadav brought India in the contest with two wickets in two deliveries to dismiss both the openers. However, unlike India, Bangladesh managed to stitch together little partnerships to keep themselves in the fray.

The spinners, led by Poonam (4/9), did their best to keep the contest alive though. With 66/3 in 14 overs, India found themselves slightly ahead. But the 15th over, bowled by Jhulan Goswami, turned the tables as in it, Nigar Sultana creamed three successive fours to take 16 runs from it. With 31 needed off the final four, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur brought back Poonam into the attack and she delivered with the scalp of Nigar (27).

Injuries to first-choice Shikha Pandey and Deepti Sharma meant Harmanpreet took the matters in her own hands. Her first over, innings' 18th, resulted in a wicket but also brought Bangladesh 10 runs closer to the target. After an excellent 19th over from Poonam, Bangladesh needed nine from the last. Despite losing two wickets in the over, Bangladesh managed to reach the target in a thrilling finale.

That India were able to give Bangladesh a run for their money seemed a distant possibility when they were reduced to 32/4 after being put in to bat. It took a fifth-wicket partnership of 30 runs between Harmanpreet and Veda Krishnamurthy (11) to repair some of the damage. While Harmanpreet continued to wage a lone battle, as she reached a fifth T20I half-century, others failed to offer her any support.

Only four India batters touched double-figures and none barring Harmanpreet crossed 11. She eventually holed out on the final delivery of the Indian innings on 56 which had seven fours in it.

This was the second occasion that Bangladesh defeated India in the tournament after stunning them earlier in the league stage. Thus, India's run of six straight Asia Cup titles (four ODIs and two T20s) came to an end with Bangladesh claiming their first ever.

Brief Scores: India 112/9 (Harmanpreet 56; Rumana Ahmed 2/22, Khadija Tul Kubra 2/23) lost to Bangladesh 113/7 (Nigar Sultana 27, Rumana Ahmed 23; Poonam Yadav 4/9) by three wickets

Harmanpreet captain of World XI, 3 Indians in team

November 26, 2018: The Times of India

India’s women cricket players who signed brand endorsement deals, as in 2018.
From: November 26, 2018: The Times of India

India’s batting star Harmanpreet Kaur was named captain of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 XI, which also featured opener Smriti Mandhana and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav. A selection panel comprising former players and commentators Ian Bishop, Anjum Chopra and Ebony Rainford-Brent, journalist Melinda Farrell and ICC’s General Manager-Cricket, Geoff Allardice, picked the team on the basis of the players’ performances in the tournament. Three players from England, two from Australia and one each from Pakistan, New Zealand and the Windies have also been named in the eleven.

The team: Alyssa Healy (Aus), Smriti Mandhana (Ind), Amy Jones (Eng, wk), Harmanpreet Kaur (Ind, captain), Deandra Dottin (WI), Javeria Khan (Pak), Ellyse Perry (Aus), Leigh Kasperek (NZ), Anya Shrubsole (Eng), Kirstie Gordon (Eng), Poonam Yadav (Ind). 12th player: Jahanara Alam (Ban).

ICC Women’s ODI, T20I teams of 2018

3 Indian, one Bangladeshi and one Pakistani made it to the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I teams of 2018
From: Smriti is ICC Women’s Cricketer of Year, January 1, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

3 Indian, one Bangladeshi and one Pakistani made it to the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I teams of 2018

2019

Indian women lose T20 series to England

March 7, 2019: The Times of India

The Indian women's cricket team suffered a five-wicket defeat to England in the second T20 International, surrendering the series with a sixth straight loss in the shortest format. Chasing 112 for an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, England completed the task in 19.1 overs, holding nerves after losing a few quick wickets. England won the first match by 41 runs. Opener Danielle Wyatt was England's star performer with the bat, top-scoring with an unbeaten 64 off 55 balls.

Opting to bowl, England produced a brilliant performance to prevent the hosts from putting up a big score at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, with Katherine Brunt emerging as the most successful bowler.

Brief scores: India: 111/8 in 20 overs (Mithali 20, Deepti 18, Bharati 18; Katherine 3-17, Linsey 2-11) lost to England: 114/5 in 19.1 overs (Daniella 64n.o, Lauren 29; Ekta 2-23).

ICC Women’s Championship

Indian women defeat Windies in second ODI

Punam Raut starred with the bat before spinners put up a fine performance to set up India’s comfortable 53-run win over West Indies in the second ICC Women’s Championship ODI. India were able to defend a modest 191 by bowling out West Indies for 138 in 47.2 overs and level the three-match ODI series 1-1.

Lakshmi first woman on ICC referee panel

Krishnaprasad PV, May 15, 2019: The Times of India

Lakshmi set to become 1st woman match referee at ICC event:

India’s G S Lakshmi will become the first woman match referee to officiate at a global ICC event when the Women’s T20 World Cup starts in Australia from February 21. The ICC announced the match officials for the league phase of the Women’s T20 World Cup, with three match referees and 12 umpires set to take the reins for the 23-match tournament. Lakshmi will officiate as match referee in the league match of the tournament to be played between former champions West Indies and firsttimers Thailand on February 22 at WACA in Perth. Last year, she had become the first female match referee to oversee a men’s One-day International in the opening match of the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in the United Arab Emirates.

From the dusty bylanes of Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh to becoming the International Cricket Council’s first woman match referee, 51-yearold Gandikota Sarva Lakshmi, has come a long way. Lakshmi was appointed to ICC's international panel of match referees on Tuesday and will be eligible to officiate in international games with immediate effect.

Lakshmi, who is currently the chief office superintendent in the public relations department of South Central Railway (SCR) in Secunderabad, has been on the domestic circuit for a long time. She had led Andhra and South Zone women’s teams apart from playing for SCR, Bihar and East Zone from 1986 to 2004. Lakshmi, who started her cricket journey at the U-19 level, was a right-handed batter and medium-pacer. She got her first major breakthrough when she was picked for the Bihar state team in 1986. After retiring from cricket, Lakshmi switched roles to become a match referee. She was also coach of the Hyderabad women’s U-19 team and a selector of the Hyderabad women’s team briefly.

Having made her debut as a match referee in a T20 match in Jaipur earlier this month, the ICC confirmation was icing on the cake. “In 2018, BCCI referred my name for the ICC match referees’ panel. I got the green signal from ICC earlier this month,” said Lakshmi.

She thanked her family — mother Vijaya Lakshmi, husband Jaya Prakash and daughter Pranati Sravani — for their support. “Without their support, I would not have reached this stage today,” she signed off.

Mandhana in ICC's ODI, T20 teams of the year

India opener Smriti Mandhana was named in both the ICC’s ODI and T20 teams of year. Mandhana has Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav and Shikha Pandey for company in the ODI team and all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the T20 side.

South Africa series

T20Is

India won 3-1

Indian women lose final T20I, but win series 3-1

Surat: India put up a shoddy display to lose by 105 runs to South Africa in the sixth and final women’s T20 International, but still managed to clinch the series 3-1 here on Friday. India cliched the six-match series 3-1 with two games being washed out due to rain. Electing to bat first, South Africa made a challenging 175 for three, riding on the batting heroics of openers Lizelle Lee (84 off 47 balls, 15x4s, 1x6) and Sune Luus (62 off 56 balls, 7x4s). The duo put on a sizzling 144-run stand for the opening wicket that came off 95 balls to set the tone for the challenging score. Chasing 176 for a win, India never got going as South Africa produced a lethal bowling effort to reduce the hosts to 13 for six after 6.2 overs. India crumbled against the South African bowling attack as they were bowled out for 70 in 17.3 overs.

ODIs

1st: India wins at Vadodara

Oct 10, 2019: The Times of India

Debutant Punia powers India to emphatic win

Vadodara:

Debutant Priya Punia starred with the bat to follow up a fine performance by the bowlers to help India women to an emphatic eightwicket win over South Africa in the first ODI. South Africa women struggled with the bat after winning the toss, bowled out for 164 in 45.1 overs. It was an all-round bowling effort from India with Jhulan Goswami (3/33), Shikha Pandey (2/38), Ekta Bisht (2/8) and Poonam Yadav (2/33) sharing the bulk of the wickets.

2nd ODI: Vadodara

Oct 12, 2019: The Times of India

Skipper Mithali Raj and Punam Raut smashed impressive fifties to guide the Indian women’s team to a series-clinching five-wicket win over South Africa in the second ODI. India first restricted South Africa to a competitive 247-6 after electing to field and then returned to overhaul the target with two overs to spare and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Pacer Shikha Pandey (2/ 38), left-arm spinner Ekta Bist (2/45) and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2/42) returned with two wickets each to keep the visitors to a below-par score. Chasing 248 to win, the Indian women lost openers Priya Punia (20) and Jemimah Rodrigues (18) early to slip to 66 for two in 12.5 overs.

However, Punam (65 off 92) and Mithali (66 off 82) resurrected the chase by sharing a 129-run partnership for the third wicket.

Marizanne Kapp (1/29) broke the stand when she had Mithali caught by Laura Wolvaardt in the 40th over.

In the next over, Punam too departed when she holed out to Kapp off Ayabonga Khaka, leaving India at 196 for four in 40.1 overs.

Harmanpreet Kaur then hit an unbeaten quick-fire 27-ball 39, laced with five boundaries and a six, to take India home with 12 balls to spare.

Brief Scores: South Africa women: 247/6 in 50 overs (L Wolvaardt 69, M du Preez 44, S Pandey 2/38) India women: 248/5 in 48 overs (P Raut 65, M Raj 66, A Khaka 3/69). PTI

Vadodara: India wins series 3-0

Spinners help India complete 3-0 whitewash

Spinners helped India pull off a thrilling six-run win over South Africa in a low-scoring third women’s ODI and complete a 3-0 series whitewash in Vadodara. India were able to defend a modest 146 by bowling out South Africa for 140 in 48 overs. Spinners Ekta Bisht (3/32 in 10 overs), Deepti Sharma (2/24 in 10) and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/22 in 10) were the architect of the win that reaffirmed India’s supremacy over South Africa, who also lost the preceding six-game T20 series.

T20s International

 India lose against England, Harleen steals show

Gaurav Gupta, July 11, 2021: The Times of India

India went down by 18 runs, via the Duckworth-Lewis method, but it was a stunning catch by Harleen Deol in the deep which hogged the limelight in the first women’s T20 International against England in Northampton.

Deol pulled off a jaw-dropping effort at wide long off to dismiss Amy Jones, which became the talk of the cricketing world. The 23-year-old from Chandigarh first caught the ball over her head inside the boundary, but flicked it back upon realising that the momentum was carrying her outside the rope. She then launched into a full-fledged dive inside the ground to complete her magical act, which saw even the English players applaud in appreciation in the dugout. Having come down the track to smash Shikha Pandey out of the park, Jones would’ve anticipated a sure-shot six from that stroke, but instead had to walk back to the pavilion.

While these kinds of catches have become the norm in T20 cricket, India women’s team fielding coach Abhay Sharma too deserves credit for making the players practice this drill before the T20Is. India’s fielding standard in the match was top-class.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur too took a blinder at long on to send back Natalie Sciver, and Deepti Sharma fielded superbly off her own bowling to run out English skipper Heather Knight.

However, losing wickets at a crucial time when rain was about to wash out the rest of the game cost India.

The visitors will now need to quickly regroup before the second game of the series at Hove on Sunday. India displayed some electrifying fielding and Pandey took three wickets in the penultimate over, but, powered by electrifying knocks by Natalie Sciver (55, 27b, 8x4, 1x6), Amy Jones (43, 24b, 4x4, 2x6), England managed to race away to 177 for seven in 20 overs after being asked to take first strike.

When rain halted the match, India, needing to have scored 72 in 8.4 overs as per the D/L method in the day/night game, were 54 for three.

Brief Scores: England 177-7 in 20 overs (Natalie Sciver 55, Amy Jones 43, Danni Wyatt 31; Shikha Pandey 3-22) beat India 54-3 by 18 runs (via DLS method).

T20I: India no.4; Radha no.2, Deepti; Poonam nos. 5, 6

Dec 21, 2019: The Economic Times

Radha remains in 2nd, Deepti; Poonam slip to 5th & 6th spots: Leftarm Indian spinner Radha Yadav was static at the second spot but compatriots Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav slipped a place each to the fifth and sixth positions in the latest ICC Women’s T20I players rankings. Among the batters, Jemimah Rodrigues continued to occupy the fourth spot, while Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur too remained static at the seventh and ninth positions respectively. India continued to hold on to the fourth position in the ICC Women’s T20I Team Ranking

West Indies series

India wins ODI series, 2-1

Smriti, Jemimah lead India to series win in WI

North Sound: Comeback-girl Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues hit half-centuries to lead the Indian women’s team to a 2-1 series victory over the West Indies with a comfortable six-wicket win in the deciding third ODI, here. Mandhana, who missed the first two matches of the series due to a toe injury, smashed a 63-ball 74 and raised a match-winning 141-run partnership with fellow opener Rodrigues (69 off 92) on Wednesday night. A solid foundation in place, India cruised to the 195-run target in 42.1 overs after the Indian bowlers did a commendable job of bowling out the hosts for a sub-par 194 in exact 50 overs.

Brief Scores: West Indies: 194 in 50 overs (Stafanie Taylor 79, Stacy Ann King 38; Jhulan Goswami 2/30) lost to India: 195 for 4 in 42.1 overs (Smriti Mandhana 77, Jemimah Rodrigues 69; Hayley Mathews 3/27)

Gros Islet: India wins again

Nov 12, 2019: The Times of India

Teenager Shafali Verma scored her second consecutive half century after off-spinner Deepti Sharma starred with the ball as the Indian women’s cricket team registered an emphatic 10-wicket win over the West Indies in the second T20 International here. The 15-year-old Shafali continued her impressive run by scoring a quick-fire 69 off 35 balls alongside Smriti Mandhana (30). The duo powered India to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Shafali, who overtook the iconic Sachin Tendulkar to become the youngest Indian cricketer to score a half-century in international cricket, displayed scintillating form yet again and smashed 10 fours and two sixes. Earlier, the Indian bowlers, led by Deepti, who registered career-best figures of 4 for 10, managed to restrict the West Indies for a paltry 103 for seven in the stipulated 20 overs.

West Indies were unable to get any kind of momentum going as wickets kept tumbling. Deepti accounted for the four wickets in the last four overs.

The third T20I will be played at Providence Stadium in Guyana on November 14. PTI

Brief scores: West Indies 103/7 in 20 overs (Chedean Nation 32, Hayley Matthews 23; Deepti Sharma 4-10) lost to India 104/0 in 10.3 overs (Shafali Verma 69 not out, Smriti Mandhana 30 out) by 10 wickets

Indian women beat WI by 7 wickets in 3rd T20I, seal series

The fast-rising Jemimah Rodrigues starred with the bat after India’s spinners wreaked havoc to set up a series-clinching 7-wicket win over the West Indies in a low-scoring third women’s T20 International. The spinners restricted West Indies to a paltry 59 for 9 in the stipulated 20 overs before Rodrigues played an unbeaten innings of 40 (51 balls) to take India home with 20 balls to spare and for the loss of just three wickets.

Providence: India wins, now up 4-0

India women continue domination over WI

Providence (Guyana): The series already in their pocket, India women continued their domination over the West Indies women by notching up a five-run win in the raintruncated fourth T20 International here. India women now lead the five-match series 4-0 after sealing the series in the third game. In the rain-marred fourth T20 International which was reduced to a nine-over-a-side affair, India women made 50 for the loss of seven wickets after being sent into bat.

Brief scores: India Women: 50 for 9 from 9 overs (Pooja Vastrakar 10; Hayley Mathews 3/13) West Indies Women: 45 for 5 from 9 overs (Hayley Mathews 11, Chinelle Henry 11; Anuja Patil 2/8)

India wins series 5-0

India women sweep T20 series: The Indian women’s team completed a 5-0 series whitewash over the West Indies after half centuries from Veda Krishnamurthy and Jemimah Rodrigues, complemented by the bowlers’ clinical show, steered the side to a 61-run triumph in the fifth and final T20 International in Providence.

BRIEF SCORES: India Women 134/3 (J Rodrigues 50, V Krishnamurthy 57*) vs WI Women 73/7 (A Patil 2/3). AGENCIES

2020

Tri-nation T20 series: Australia beat India in final

Mandhana’s blazing fifty goes in vain as Australia win final, February 13, 2020: The Times of India

Melbourne:

India opener Smriti Mandhana’s 37-ball 66 went in vain as Australia claimed the tri-nation women’s T20 series with a gritty 11-run win following a sensational 5-wicket haul by spinner Jess Jonassen here on Wednesday. Set a target of 156, India were all out for 144 after being 115 for three in the 15th over.

Seasoned left-arm spinner Jonassen was the star of the show with brilliant figures of 5 for 12 in four overs, making her only the third Australian bowler to return a five-for in the women’s T20 format. “It was a really good allround performance. Getting Mandhana was the gamechanger, she was whacking us all over the park,” said Australian captain Meg Lanning.

Opting to bat, Australia managed to post 155 for six in their stipulated 20 overs. Chasing a challenging target, Mandhana was up to the task at hand and smashed 12 boundaries in her knock.

However, Mandhana’s dismissal in the 15th over, caught brilliantly by Nicola Carey in the deep mid-wicket, that turned the match in Australia’s favour as they put the brakes on India’s scoring while at the same time taking wickets.

It was the departure of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, in the 16th over, which dashed India’s hopes of a victory.

“In the last three overs we couldn’t take the pressure and ended up losing wickets,” said Harmanpreet, reflecting on the loss. PTI

Brief scores: Australia: 155 for six in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 71 not out); India: 144 all out in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 66, Jess Jonassen 5/12)

2021

Australia away tour

ODIs

India loses Mackay ODI

Gaurav Gupta, Sep 22, 2021: The Times of India

Scoring her fifth half-century, India skipper Mithali Raj crossed 20,000 runs in an epic career, but couldn’t prevent Australia from hammering her team by nine wickets in the opening ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

It was Australia’s 25th consecutive ODI win — an incredible streak which began in March 2018 in India. The four-time World Cup champs last lost an ODI in October 2017.

Throughout the game, India’s problems, which were visible during their English tour recently, in both batting and bowling were exposed thoroughly. Before the first game, coach Ramesh Powar had said that his team was looking to score at least 250 in ODIs. However, all that India managed was 225 for eight.

As usual, Mithali top-scored with 63 – her 59th fifty – but consumed 107 balls in the process, hitting just three fours. Indeed, India are in a strange predicament — they want the captain to score faster, but can’t fully blame her because they wouldn’t even score that much without her contribution. Still, the visitors would take heart from the cameos of debutants Yastika Bhatia (35 off 51), who replaced the injured Harmanpreet Kaur at No 3, and Richa Ghosh (32 not out off 29).

They were missing three frontline bowlers, but the Aussies thrived on the teenage pace pair of Darcie Brown (4-33) and debutant Hannah Darlington (2-29) to blow away the Indians.

With Rachael Haynes (93 not out off 100) and Alyssa Healy (77 off 77), watched by Australian pacer Mitchell Starc in the dugout, and skipper Mag Lanning (53 not out off 69 balls) all scoring fifties, Australia gunned down the target in 41 overs against a mediocre bowling attack.

Post the game, Mithali felt that it was imperative for the openers Shafali Verma (8) and especially the experienced Smiriti Mandhana (16) to provide the team with a good start. “I mean, see the opening partnership, if they give us a good start, clearly the middle order can take the momentum from there. But if you lose early wickets, you actually have to build an innings in the first 10 overs. Smriti has been in the international circuit for a while, so we would expect some runs from her,” said Mithali.

BRIEF SCORES: India 225-8 in 50 overs (M Raj 63, Y Bhatia 35, R Ghosh 32*; Brown 4-33) lost to Australia 227-1 in 41 overs (R Haynes 93*, A Healy 77, M Lanning 53*) by 9 wickets.

T20Is

Second T20I: India loses

Gaurav Gupta, Oct 10, 2021: The Times of India

It was a game which sums up the story of the Indian women’s team’s tour of Australia. Thanks to a superb knock under pressure by Tahlia McGrath (42 not out, 33b, 6x4) in the end, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co lost a thrilling, low-scoring game, but stole hearts with their resilience. Fighting back from a situation in which they looked like heading for a rout, the spirited Indians gave the Aussies a run for their money, before finally losing their nerves in the tense moments to go down by four wickets in the second T20I at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast on Saturday night. With this defeat, India also lost the multiformat series, which Australia lead now by 9-5. India now only have pride to play for in the final T20I.

Still, the visitors can hold their heads high with the way they’ve stretched a formidable team all summer.

Brief Scores: India 118-9 in 20 overs (Pooja Vastrakar 37 no, Harmanpreet Kaur 28) lost to Australia 119-6 in 19.1 overs (Tahlia McGrath 42 no, Beth Mooney 34; Rajeshwari Gayakwadi 3/21)

India loses third T20 and series

Gaurav Gupta, Oct 11, 2021: The Times of India

Eventually, the Indian women’s team couldn’t sign off from what was a good tour of Australia with a win.

Smriti Mandhana slammed yet another half-century (52, 49b, 8x4) and Richa Ghosh (23 not out, 11b, 2x6, 2x4) gave a glimpse of her enormous talent, tonking two sixes and two fours in the last over, but India fell short by 14 runs against Australia in the third and final T20I at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast.

The ‘Southern Stars’ thus won the T20Is 2-0, and, having won the ODIs 2-1 and drawn the pink-ball Test, clinched the multi-format series 11-5. Eight Indian players will now participate in the Women’s Big Bash League from Thursday, which should give them good exposure ahead of the ODI World Cup next year in New Zealand in March-April.

Asked to bat first, the Aussies made 149 for five as Beth Mooney (61, 43b, 10x4) and Tahlia McGrath (44 not out, 31b, 6x4, 1x6) once again proved to be the thorns in India’s flesh, rescuing the hosts from 73 for four in the 12th over with their 44-run partnership for the fifth wicket in 37 balls. McGrath, who had scored a match-winning 42 not out in the previous T20I, then added 32* in 16 balls for the sixth wicket to provide finishing touches to the innings. Having scored 74 & 47 in the ODI series and 28 in the Tests, McGrath was deservedly named ‘Player of the Series.’ Chasing 150, India suffered a blow early on when Shafali Verma (1), in a rather soft dismissal, smacked off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner to Tayla Vlaeminck at short fine leg in the second over. It was a soft dismissal. Mandhana pulled out her elegant cover drives and breathtaking pulls, smashing Vlaeminck for three fours in the fifth over, as she added 57 in 56 balls for the second wicket with Jemima Rodrigues (23, 26, 1x4), but India’s innings never got the sort of momentum that you need in T20 cricket. Towards the end, Ghosh hit a Dilscoop for four, and then spanked back-to-back sixes and a four off the final three balls from Nicola Carey, but it was all too late.

England, away test: draw

Gaurav Gupta, June 20, 2021: The Times of India

Showing nerves of steel, tailenders Sneh Rana (80 not out, 154b, 13x4) and ‘keeper-bat Taniya Bhatia (44 not out, 88b, 6x4) shared a magnificent, unconquered 104-run partnership in 184 balls for the ninth wicket to help India wrest a miraculous, thrilling draw on the final day in their one-off Test against England at the Bristol County Ground.

After taking four wickets on Day One, Rana had said that she would dedicate her heroics on Test debut to her late father, who expired just before she was picked for this tour. The way she saved a Test match for India along with Bhatia on Saturday, Rana’s father’s soul would be proud of her girl’s massive achievement. Batting at No 8, she cut, drove and flicked her way to an excellent half-century. In ‘keeperbat Bhatia, who came in at No 10, she found an able ally to thwart England’s hopes completely.

Playing her first game for India in five years, the Dehradun girl managed to pull India out from a point of certain defeat, at 199 for seven, to 344 for eight — a magical feat indeed.

To not lose the game by batting for as many as 121 overs in their second innings on the final day, despite following on, this must rank amongst India’s finest Test performances abroad, something that Ramesh Powar, now back as coach, can be proud of. An idea of how much England’s bowlers had to sweat it out in India’s second innings can be gauged from the fact that left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone had to slog for 38 overs for her four wickets. Overall, she took eight wickets, but ended up bowling 64 overs!

After they endured another collapse in the match, losing five wickets for 18 runs at one stage, Rana rescued India from choppy waters, leaving England frustrated in fading light. From 171 for two, the visitors slipped badly, thanks to some poor shot selection by their batters. However, just as India looked like sinking, Rana put her hand up, steering the ship courageously. The 27-year-old forged a 41-run partnership, which consumed 101 balls, for the eighth wicket with Shikha Pandey (18, 50b, 3x4).

The slide started due to a blunder by Deepti Sharma, who had batted extremely well for her maiden half-century (54, 168b, 8x4) in Test cricket. For the entire pre-lunch session, she frustrated the English bowlers, justifying the decision to promote her to the No. 3 spot in the second dig.

Brief Scores: England 396-9 decl drew with India 231 & (following on) 344-8 (Sneh Rana 80 not out, Shafali Verma 63, Deepti Sharma 54, Punam Raut 39, Tania Bhatia 44 not out; Sophie Ecclestone 4-118).

Details

Kathakali Banerjee & Mohammad Anab, June 21, 2021: The Times of India

Sneh Rana’s fighting knock of unbeaten 80 at No. 8 helped India draw the one-off Test against England in Bristol on Saturday. In the process, she became the first Indian woman and fourth overall to have both a fifty plus score and a 4-wicket haul on Test debut.

Sneh hails from a farmer’s family in Sinaula on the outskirts of Dehradun. What made the 27-year-old’s performance stand out was the fact that she turned out for Team India just two months after her father Bhagwan Singh Rana died of cardiac arrest.

“She was very upset after papa passed away, but did not give up training,” elder sister Ruchi said. “It was like a balm for her, even though we knew she was in distress.”

Sneh was out of India reckoning for five years and has just returned to all formats after a gap of five years.

Sneh’s journey started as a nine-year-old at the Little Masters Cricket Academy. She was picked during a talent search tournament in Sinaula. “She was too shy to play in front of us. Our academy coach Kiran Sah coaxed her to bat. She was exceptional,” coach Narendra Sah, Kiran’s husband, said. “Sneh has given a fitting tribute to her father through her performance which has incidentally come just a day before Father’s Day,” said Kiran. “It is an extremely proud moment for all of us.”

Injuries, personal loss could not deter Sneh

It is a reward for Sneh’s decade-long dedication and hard work. She came to me for coaching when she was nine years old,” said coach Sah.

Recalling how Sneh got moulded into an allrounder, Kiran said, “In our academy, girls are forced to face the pace bowling of big boys and that is why they get to hone different aspects of their cricketing skills.”

Sneh went on to play for Haryana and Punjab in the U-19 and senior levels before being selected for Railways. She made her India debut in 2014.

The road to this day has not been an easy one for Sneh. A knee injury and a string of poor performances saw her fall out of favour with the selectors. Until Wednesday, Sneh had played 12 limited overs matches for India, having made her international debut against Sri Lanka in 2014. Her only appearance away from home was in the 2016 ODI tour of Australia and her last T20I match was against Sri Lanka at home that year.

However, Sneh did not lose hope. Determined to make a comeback, she joined the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy. “She was recovering from a knee injury, and I got her connected to the U Mumba kabaddi team physio. She gradually recovered and started working on her all-round game,” said coach Manoj Rawat. “I spoke to her almost every day during the Test and encouraged her to prove herself as a batter.”

An all-format pick for the tour, Sneh returned to the side on the back of her domestic performance in the 50-over format earlier this year. She led Railways in the league stage and was the highest wicket taker with 18 scalps. With the bat, her 160 runs at a strike-rate of 123.07 in the middle-order was pivotal to their victorious campaign.

“She is very cool as a leader and never panics in difficult situations. She reads the game very well,” Railways’ teammate Shubh Lakshmi Sharma said.

Gold Coast test: drawn

Gaurav Gupta, Oct 4, 2021: The Times of India

In the end, former Australia allrounder Lisa Sthalekarturned commentator hit the nail on the head when she said: ‘It was India’s Test match.’ In a game which many thought they would lose easily against a formidable opponent, the Indian women’s team dominated Australia from start to finish, with only the lack of time due to bad weather and some resolute batting by Ellyse Perry (68 not out, 203b, 9x4) in the first session allowing the hosts to wriggle out with a draw in the historic pink ball Day/Night Test at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast.

It’s hard to believe that just two days of net practice with the pink ball was enough for the Indians to leave such a huge impression in their maiden Test with it. In fact, this stellar performance can be directly contrasted to how the Indian men’s team caved in during the pink ball Test last year, collapsing to an embarrassing 36 in a humiliating defeat inside three days. With the India women’s team’s next Test not in immediate sight, this could be the last time the two legends of the team — batter Mithali Raj and pacer Jhulan Goswami —played Test cricket. Clearly, the veteran players couldn’t have hoped for a better game as their last — India played Australia after 15 years in a Test, and unlike on that occasion in Adelaide in 2006 when they were hammered by an innings— this time they were in the driver’s seat throughout. While Smriti Mandhana was justifiably named as the ‘Player of the Match’ for her sublime hundred on Day Two, teenaged batting sensation Shafali Verma slammed 52 (91b, 6x4) in the second innings — slamming her third fifty in just her second Test. Following on their 167-run opening stand in the one-off Test against England at Bristol a couple of months back, the pair added 93 in the first innings and 70 in the second.

However, at the heart of India’s super show at Carrara was a fabulous show by India’s pace bowling trio of the experienced Jhulan Goswami, and especially debutant Meghna Singh, and Pooja Vastrakar, who, with four for 72 (3-49 & 1-13), was the top wicket-taker of the match. Before the game, Mithali had said that this was India’s bestever pace bowling attack, and her bowlers lived up to that billing by their skipper. Testing the Aussie batters by pitching the ball up consistently and getting it to move menacingly from the good length area, the Indian seamers comfortably outbowled their Aussie counterparts, who were wayward and too short for most of the time.

Brief Scores: India 377-8 declared (Deepti Sharma 66) &135-3 declared (Shafali Verma 52, Poonam Raut 41 not out, Smriti Mandhana 31) vs Australia 241-9 declared (Ellyse Perry 68 not out, Asheligh Gardner 51; Pooja Vastrakar 3-51) & 36-2.

India loses T20I, ODI series

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com The Times of India

After beginning with a creditable draw in their on-off Test at Bristol, India thus ended their English tour on a low, losing both the T20I and ODI series with an identical scoreline. They also lost the series in both formats a few months back to South Africa at home too India suffered an eight-wicket thrashing at the hands of England in the third and final day/ night women’s T20 International at Chelmsford to go down 1-2 in the T20I series

Brief scores: India 153-6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 70, Harmanpreet Kaur 36; Sophie Ecclestone 3-35) lost to England 154-2 in 18.4 overs (Danni Wyatt 89 not out, Natt Sciver 42) by eight wickets.

South Africa vs India

South Arica wins

South Africa seal ODI series 4-1: South Africa added salt to India’s wounds by registering a five-wicket win over the hosts in the low-scoring fifth and final women’s ODI to seal the series 4-1 in Lucknow. Mithali Raj played a captain’s knock by hitting a well-crafted 79 not out but it was only enough to take India to 188 all out. South Africa then rode on Anneke Bosch (58) and Mignon du Preez’s (57) half-centuries to chase down the target in 48.2 overs.

T20Is

Rajeshwari, Shafali help India women pull one back

Lucknow: Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s threewicket haul and Shafali Verma’s 60-run knock off 30 balls helped India defeat South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final T20I at the Ekana Cricket Ground. South Africa had already sealed the series after winning the first two T20Is, but the hosts gained a consolation win in the final game of the series. Chasing 113, India got off to a sensational start as opening batter Shafali Verma scored 18 runs in the very first over bowled by Shabnim Ismail. The righthander along with Smriti Mandhana continued the carnage in the first six overs and as a result, the hosts’ score read 71/0 after the end of six overs.

Brief Scores: South Africa Women 112/7 (Sune Luus 28, Lara Goodall 25 not out; Rajeshwari Gayakwad 3/9) lost to India Women 114/1 in 11 overs (Shafali Verma 60, Smriti Mandhana 48 not out).

2022

India vs Australia

T 20 I

4th T 20 I, Brabourne: India wins

Gaurav Gupta, Dec 18, 2022: The Times of India

Mumbai : In the end, Richa Ghosh threw everything at it, but, left with too much to do, just about failed to take India over the line in the fourth T20I at the Brabourne Stadium. Walking in the 15th over after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was out after stroking a superb 46 , Ghosh, egged on by the deafening cheers of an around 18,000 crowd, nearly helped India p ull off a 189-run chase with another sizzling cameo.


Dazzling again with her murderous bat, the 19-yearold ‘pocket dynamite’ smashed an unbeaten 40 off just 19 balls in a blitz which included four fours and two sixes to give a mighty scare to the Aussies, who eventually held their never to win the game by seven runs. India finished at an honourable 181 for five, but Australia bagged the series 3-1.

When India needed 38 of the final 2 overs, Ghosh tonked 6,6, & 4 off a stunned Heather Graham to give India a sniff of an improbable-looking victory. However, Graham bounced back to give away just two runs off the next three balls to deny the hosts win.

Brief scores: Australia Women: 188/3 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 72*; Deepti Sharma 2/ 35) beat India Women: 181/5 (Harmanpreet Kaur 46; Ashleigh Gardner 2/20).

5th T 20 I: Australia wins

Dec 21, 2022: The Times of India

Mumbai : Ashleigh Gardner (66 * off 32 balls) and Grace Harris (64* off 35) struck explosive, unbeaten half-centuries to power Australian women to an imposing 196/4 and set up a 54-run win in the fifth T20I against India. The Indian bowlers cut a sorry figure after some initial success as Gardner and Harris stitched an attacking, unbeaten 129 off just 62 balls to fire Australia to their highest total of the series.


The asking rate was too tall for India and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals to be all out for 142. Heather Graham starred with the ball, becoming only the second woman cricketer from her country to take a T20 hat-trick as Australia clinched the five-game series 4-1.


Graham (4/8 from 2 overs) first dismissed Devika Vaidya and Radha Yadav off the last two deliveries in the 13th over. 
She then returned in the final over of the innings to not only claim a hat-trick with the opening ball in the form of Renuka Singh but also picked up the prized scalp of Deepti Sharma (53 off 34) off the final delivery.

Megan Schutt was the first woman from her country to claim a hattrick in T20s in 2018. 
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s (4) pulled Darcie Brown for four off her first delivery, but her stay was short-lived as two balls later she holed out to Grace Harris at forward square leg.


Shafali Verma (13) then got a reprieve in the third over when she was dropped by Harris at point but it was not her day either, and she was caught by Sutherland off Gardner at long-on.


Brief scores: Australia 196/4 (Gardner 66*, Harris 64*, Vaidya 1-26) beat India 142 (Deepti 53, Deol 24, Graham 4-8, Gardner 2-20) by 54 runs. 
PTI

England tour away

T 20 I

3rd T 20 I: England wins

Sep 17, 2022: The Times of India

Bristol : Indian bowlers put up a valiant effort before rookie Alice Capsey held her nerve to guide England to a seven-wicket win in the third women’s T20 International and also clinch the series 2-1.


India put up an inept batting performance, scoring only 122 for eight, courtesy wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh’s 22-ball 33 and all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar’s unbeaten 19 off 11 deliveries. 
Indian batters were unable to navigate through the England spin bowling as the trio of Sophie Ecclestone (3/25), Sarah Glenn (2/11) and Bryony Smith accounted for six wickets.


England scored the runs in 18. 2 overs, courtesy opener Sophia Dunkley’s 49 off 44 and 18-year-old Caspey’s unbeaten 38-run knock that took the hosts over the line and seal the threematch series 2-1. 
 Chasing 123, the home side was off to a brilliant start with both openers Dunkley and Danni Wyatt (22 off 23 balls) sharing a 70-run stand before India triggered a mini batting collapse by snaring three quick wickets in as many overs.


Spin all-rounder Sneh Rana (1/32) provided the first breakthrough for the visitors as Wyatt miscued a shot.


Dunkley, who hit six fours, followed next as she was cleaned up with an excellent delivery by Vastrakar (1/16). Captain Amy Jones’ (3) stay in the middle was then cut short by Radha Yadav (1/14). 
But, Capsey, considered one of England’s brightest young talents, continued to attack and played shots all around the ground. She was ably supported by Smith, who remained unbeaten on 13, as the two steered England to victory. 
Earlier, India were in all sorts of trouble as they slipped to 75 for 7 before Ghosh and Vastrakar joined forces to take the visitors to a respectable total.


SCORES: India Women 122/8 (Richa Ghosh 33*, Deepti Sharma 24; Ecclestone 3/25) lost to England Women 126/ 3 in 18. 2 overs (Sophia Dunkley 49, Alice Capsey 38*; Radha Yadav 1/14).


AGENCIES

ODIs

2nd ODI: India wins

Sep 22, 2022: The Times of India

Canterbury : Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur rekindled the memories of 2017 World Cup with a magnificent 143 not out as Indian women amassed their highest ever overseas total of 333 for 5 against England in the second ODI. 
In reply, England were 47 for 3 in 7. 4 overs with seamer Renuka Singh already picking up two top-order batters in opener Emma Lamb and one down Sophia Dunkley.


Harmanpreet smashed 18 fours and four sixes en route her 111-ball knock and also enjoyed a fine 112-run stand for the fourth wicket with Harleen Deol (58 off 72 balls).


She also added 50 with Pooja Vastrakar(18) and another 71 runs in four overs with Deepti Sharma (15 not out) for the unbroken sixth wicket stand. 
Opener Smriti Mandhana (40 off 51 balls) became the quickest India women’s player and the third quickest Indian after Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli to complete 3000 ODI runs. Mandhana reached the milestone in her 76th innings.


However, it was in the last three overs in which Harmanpreet literally took the game away from England’s grasp. In the last three overs, India scored 62 runs, courtesy their skipper, who was in imperious touch while reaching her fifth hundred in ODIs.


Such was Harmanpreet’s dominance that Deepti Sharma, who still holds the individual record (188) by an Indian batter in Women ODIs, was more of a spectator during their sixth wicket stand. 
PTI

Brief Scores: India 333/5 (Harmanpreet Kaur 143*, Harleen Deol 58, Smriti Mandhana 40) vs England.

3rd ODI, London: India wins

Sep 25, 2022: The Times of India

London : A fairy-tale ending befitting her glorious career marked Jhulan Goswami's last waltz as India Women beat England by 16 runs in the third and final ODI to record their first clean swee p in this country. That the feat was achieved at the Mecca of Cricket -Lord's -made it doubly satisfying.


Sent into bat, India were all out for a paltry 169, and at that point it looked like the tourists may have fallen many runs short of making the match a memorable one for their legendary seamer, who is calling it quits after two decades of incredible service to the game. However, the Indians managed to eke out a win as Charlotte Dean (47) was adjudged run out in controversial fashion, for backing up. Dean, who nearly pulled off a stunning win for the hosts after they were reeling at 65 for seven and then 103 for eight, was out of her ground and Deepti Sharma simply held the ball to remove the bails, leaving the English flabbergasted.


Recently, ICC while modifying the playing conditions had moved this kind of dismissal from ‘unfair play' to 'run out’. The changes would come into effect from October 1. On expected lines, the day revolved around the 39-yearold warhorse Jhulan Goswami, who is leaving the scene a swomen's cricket's highest wicket-taker, having started her journey way back in 2002.


Harmanpr eet Kaur, who let Jhulan call the toss in a touching gesture, was unable to hold back her tears, even as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) planned to name a stand at the Eden gardens afte r the ‘Chakdaha Express’. She finished with excellent figures of 2/30 in her full quota of 10 overs, including three maiden overs.


The competitive Indian has seen the game evolve during her long journey that was marked with some unforgettable moments and fewunpleasant days. While she was not expected to be at her peak in her final series, Jhulan did enough on her own to go out on a high, having bowled tidily in her last three international matches.


She was lucky to have got her first wicket of the day with a short one, he r second scalp came when the pacer bowled Kate Cross with her ball number 10,001 in ODIs, again something which no other player has achieved


Brief score: India 169 (Deepti Sharma 68 not out; Kate Cross 4-26) vs England 153 (Charlie Dean 47; Renuka Singh 4-29)


PTI

New Zealand, away

T20Is

T20I: India loses

February 10, 2022: The Times of India

Queenstown:Batting let India down as they suffered an 18-run defeat to hosts New Zealand in the one-off women’s T20 International.


Senior opener and vicecaptain Smriti Mandhana did not play and her absence was felt badly as India fell short by 18 runs while chasing 156 for a win.


Rookie Yastika Bhatia, who opened in place of Mandhana along with young Shafali Verma, did reasonably well with a run-aball 26 (2x4; 1x6) but India never looked like they could chase down the target against an impressive New Zealand bowling attack. The opening stand was worth 41 runs in 6. 3 overs and that was the highest partnership for India. Shafali was not at her best as she contributed just 13 runs from 14 balls with the help of two boundaries. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who made 12 from 13 balls, also looked off colour. 
The visitors could only reach 137 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Earlier, experienced allrou nder Deepti Sharma and medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar scalped two wickets apiece to help India restrict New Zealand to 155 for 5 after Harmanpreet opted to field after winning the toss.

Vastrakar was tidy with her bowling as she conceded just 16 runs from her four overs, while Sharma gave away 26 runs from her allotted four overs of off-spin.

ODIs

ODI: India loses

February 12, 2022: The Times of India

QUEENSTOWN: Skipper Mithali Raj's well-crafted half-century went in vain as Indian batting flopped once again with the visitors losing the first WODI against New Zealand by 62 runs.

Opting to bowl, New Zealand rode on Suzie Bates century (106 off 111 balls) to score a challenging 275 and India were all-out in the last over for 213 in 49.4 overs and never for once looked like being in the chase.

The 39-year-old Mithali, playing her 221st ODI, continued her dream form in the format -- seven fifties in the last 11 innings in ODIs -- to keep India in the hunt with a 73-ball 59 (6x4). Indian women's team in their last ODI recorded their highest ever run chase of 265 set by Australia women in September last year, a win that had ended their rivals 26-match winning streak.

Mithali also joined Charlotte Edwards in making 1,000 runs against four different teams -- Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand -- in ODI cricket.

She also became the first Indian to reach 1000 women's ODI runs against New Zealand.

Mithali got a fine support from left-hander Yastika Bhatia, who dropped down to her usual No 3 spot, to stroke a 63-ball 41 as the duo added 88 runs in their recovery act.

But she perished to a short ball from Hayley Jensen (2/36), something that triggered the Indian collapse before Jess Kerr sealed the issue for the hosts with a match winning 4/35 as India collapsed for 213 in 49.4 overs to trail the five-match ODI series 0-1.

India had earlier lost the one-off T20I by 18 runs in their series opener on February 9. India also paid a price for Harmanpreet Kaur's poor form as she coming fresh from her exploits in the Big Bash where she was adjudged 'Player of the Tournament' could not make it big perishing for a 22-ball 10.

She last notched a fifty in March 2021 against South Africa as her last five innings scores read a poor 10, 16, 19, 1, 30 not out, painting a sorry picture for India ahead of the World Cup starting here from March 4.

The absence of their star batter Smriti Mandhana, who is serving her extended managed isolation and quarantine, once again hurt India badly especially in their record chase of 275. There was no more left-right opening combination with southpaw Yastika Bhatia going down to her usual No 3, while Meghana partnered Shafali Verma up front.

Rewarded for her impressive T20I outing (a 30-ball 37 at No 4) the other day, Meghana was watchful to start with as India's run chase started with 12 dot balls, courtesy Tahuhu and Jess Kerr's maiden overs.

Her wobbly innings (four from 14 balls) finally ended in the fifth over after she edged one to the slip as Shafali (12 from 16b) became impatient to miss full stump to be trapped lbw in a soft manner.

Wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh made a cameo of 27-ball 22 but after her dismissal with a fine stumping India's run-chase fizzled out.

Earlier, New Zealand were eyeing a score of 300-plus with veteran opener Suzie Bates's sparkling 11th ODI century, but India bounced back strongly taking last five wickets for 25 runs to bundle them out for 275 in 48.1 overs.

Suzie made full of the reprieve she got on 14 when Rajeshwari Gayakwad dropped her at point off Pooja Vastrakar's bowling to score a sublime 106 off 111 balls, studded with 10 boundaries.

Suzie got to her 38th fifty in 66 balls, her first ODI half-century since January 2020 to draw level with fellow White Ferns legend Debbie Hockley.

She later notched her triple in 107 balls, with a single off Poonam Yadav and in the next over she made her intention clear with back foot pull for a boundary against Deepti Sharma.

2nd ODI: India loses

February 16, 2022: The Times of India

Queenstown: India felt the absence of experienced pacer Jhulan Goswami as they failed to defend an imposing 270 to go down by three wickets in the second women’s ODI against New Zealand. The loss meant that the visitors have now conceded a 0-2 lead in the five-match series.

Deepti Sharma took 4 for 52 while her spin colleagues Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Harmanpreet Kaur took a wicket apiece. But India failed in the pace department with Pooja Vastrakar and debutant Simran Bahadur leaking runs without taking any wickets.

The presence of Goswami, rested from this game, could have made the difference after the Indian batters rose to the occasion to set a stiff target of 271 for New Zealand.

BRIEF SCORES:

India: 270/6 (S Meghana 49, Y Bhatia 31, M Raj 66*. R Ghosh 65;S Devine 2-42) lost to New Zealand: 273/7 in 49 overs (S Devine 33, A Kerr 119*, M Green 52; DSharma 4-52). Smriti out of quarantine, to join team for remainder of ODI series: Star batter Smriti Mandhana completed her extended stay in quarantine in Christchurch and left for Queenstown to join the Indian team for the remainder of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand.

Sri Lanka vs. India

ODIs

Pallekele: India wins

July 5, 2022: The Times of India

Pallekele: The Indian women’s team dominated from start to finish with both bat and ball to hammer Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The bowlers set it up for the tourists by dismissing Sri Lanka for 173, and after that, Smriti Mandhana’s stroke-filled 94 off 83 balls and Shafali Verma’s run-a-ball 71 paved the way for the convincing win. 
The Indian team’s openers fired for the first time on the tour, sharing a partnership of 174 runs to see the visitors home in just 25. 4 overs and finally managing to silence their detractors after being pilloried for their below-par show. It is the highest target successfully chased without losing a wicket in women’s ODIs.

The experienced Mandhana struck 11 boundaries and a six in her blazing knock, while Verma found the fence four times and cleared it once.

After having won the first ODI comfortably, the Indians came into the against a wobbly Sri Lankan side.

Adding to the visitors’ confidence was the fact that they also triumphed in the preceding three-match T20I series. After winning the toss, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur asked Sri Lanka to bat first on a surface in favourable conditions for the bowlers. he hosts soon found themselves in all sorts of trouble as pacer Renuka Singh supreme with a career-best 4/28, rattling the Sri Lankan top-order with three quick strikes.

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, lower-order batter Ama Kanchana held fort for the hosts. Seasoned off-spinner Deepti Sharma’s two wickets off the last two balls helped India bowl out the Lankans.

PTI Scores: India Women 174/0 (Mandhana 94*, Shafali 71*) beat Sri Lanka Women 173 (Kanchana 47*, Renuka 4-28, Deepti 2-30, Meghna 2-42) by 10 wickets

T20is

2nd: India wins

June 26, 2022: The Times of India

Dambulla: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur contributed with both bat and ball to steer the Indian women’s team to a series-sealing five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20.


Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s (39 off 34 balls) experience, complemented by the exuberance of both Shafali Verma (17 off 10 balls) and Sabbhineni Meghana (17 off 10 balls) helped India chase down the 126-run target in 19. 1 overs.


India stuttered in what should have been a comfortable run chase before Harmanpreet took India home with an unbeaten 31 of 32 balls after Sri Lanka squandered a fine start to post a below-par 125/7. The third and final T20I will be played.

It was a day to remember for Mandhana, who became the second-fastest Indian woman to reach 2,000 runs T20 runs. Mandhana reached the feat in her 84th innings, becoming the third Indian woman after Mithali Raj (70 innings) and Harmanpreet (88) to cross the mark.


Opting to bat first, the duo of captain Chamari Athapaththu (43 off 41 balls) and Vishmi Gunaratne (45 off 50 balls) provided an ideal start for the Lankans. The duo also put up Sri Lanka’s best opening stand (87) in T20s. However, Deepti Sharma (2/34) was the best bowler on view while the likes of Radha Yadav and Pooja Vastrakar also helped India claw back with the ball.


PTI Scores: India 127/5 (Mandhana 39, Harmanpreet 31*) beat Sri Lanka 125/7 (Gunaratne 45, Athapaththu 43) by 5 wickets.

2023

India vs England

T20Is

2nd T20I, Mumbai: India loses match, T20I series

Dec 10, 2023: The Times of India

Mumbai : England came up with another clinical display with the ball as they beat India by four wickets at the Wankhede Stadium to clinch the three-match T20I series 2-0. Around 25,000 turned up for the second match of the series but were left disappointed when India, who were put in to bat, were dismissed for 80 — their third lowest total in T20Is.


England also stuttered while chasing a below-par target but got over the line in the 12th over thanks to small but useful contributions by Alice Capsey (25, 21b; 4x4) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (16, 13b; 2x4, 1x6).


The win came courtesy the England bowlers, who were always on the money, rarely bowled loose — or wide — and kept India’s batters in check.


Off-spinner Charlie Dean (2-16), who came in place of left-arm medium-pacer Mahika Gaur, set the England’s bandwagon rolling when she trapped the dangerous Shafali Verma (0) leg-before on the second ball of the match. The English bowlers never looked back thereafter and kept picking wickets at regular inter vals. Dean returned three overs later to trap Smriti Mandhana (10, 9b) plumb in front. The Indian opener went back to a fuller delivery and paid the price. That lack of application by Indian batters continued. Soon after India were reduced to 28-3 with Nat SciverBrunt (1-15) making skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (9; 7b) the third Indian batter to be caught leg-before. 
Brief scores: India 80 in 16.2 overs (Rodrigues 30; Dean 2-16) lost to England 82/6 in 11.2 overs (Capsey 25; Sharma 2-4) by 4 wickets.

3rd T20I, Mumbai: India wins

Gaurav Gupta , Dec 11, 2023: The Times of India

Mumbai : Playing for the first time in the series, Amanjot Kaur, (13 not out, 4b, 3x4) showed remarkable spunk, stroking left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for three fours -two superb drives to extra cover followed by a reverse sweep -in the penultimate over to seal India’s five-wicket win over England in a low-scoring third and final Women’ s T20I at the Wankhede Stadium.

The consolation victory helped India finish the three-match series with a 1-2 scoreline, and should give them confidence going into the oneoff Test against the visitor s at the DY Patil Stadium from December 14.


Having taken two wickets in the final over of England’s innings earlier, Amanjot, who replaced fellow medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar, helped India finish off the 127-run chase with one over left. Needing 11 off the final two overs, India suffered a jolt when Richa Ghosh (2) lost her stumps while trying to scoop Ecclestone, before Amanjot took them home comfortably.


India lost Shafali Verma (6) early, but Smriti Mandhana (48, 48b, 5x4, 2x6) and Jemimah Rodrigues (29, 38b, 4x4) added 57 for the second wicket in 55 balls for the second wicket to put India’s chase on track.


Earlier, powered by their rookie spinners and Women’s Premier League (WPL) discoveries Shreyanka Patil (3-19 in four overs) and Saika Ishaque (3-22 in four overs), India, with a 27,000-strong crowd still cheering for them in a dead rubber, shot out a literally second-string English side for merely 126 in 20 overs.


The only worry that India endured while folding up England cheaply was a bad ankle injury that forced their captain Harmanpreet Kaur to hobble off the field in the 16th over of the innings. After diving to stop a ball that fell short of her at mid-off, Harmanpreet’s left toe got stuck in the field as she went to collect the ball. She, however, came out to bat with India close to the target and remained unbeaten.


Left reeling at 76 for eight in the 15th over after a collapse saw them lose four wickets for nine runs in 20 balls, England looked in danger of being bowled out for less than 96, their lowest score in a T20I against India back in 2010, before Heather Knight, played a skipper’s knock, slamming a half-century (52, 42b, 3x4, 3x6). Putting together a 50-run partnership in 32 balls with tailender Charlie Dean (16 not out off 15 balls) for the ninth wicket, Knight ensured that her team not only went past 100, but also put up something on a tricky wicket which was aiding spinners.


For the second game in a row, India’s bowlers continued on the path to redemption, after they were taken to the cleaners in the opening T20I, in which England amassed 197 for six. If they took six English wick ets while defending 80 on Saturday, they went even better a night later, making the visitors sweat for every run. India also thrived on the fine performances of their seamers Renuka Singh Thakur (2-23 in four overs) and the impressive Amanjot (2-25 in three overs). Off-spinner Deepti Sharma, who played her 100th T20I on Saturday, conceded only 21 in her four overs.


Having clinched the three-match series on Saturday at the same venue, England, who chose to bat first, suffered a setback when leg-spinner Sarah Glenn was ruled out of the match due to a fractured left thumb she sustained in the last game. Much to India’s relief, England rested Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver-Brunt.


On a wicket where such shots were bound to cause trouble, the inexperienced English batters kept sweeping, reverse sweeping and cutting India’s spinners to their doom. Renuka put India on top with her early strikes, cleaning up Maia Boucher’ s middle stump with just the third delivery of the match. Sophia Dunkley (11) then cut her to backward point, where Shreyanka pocketed the catch. Later, it was the turn of Saika to join the party, as she lured Alice Capsey with a flighted delivery that saw the batter swat it straight to extra cover. Knight and ‘keeper-bat Amy Jones (25 off 21 balls) staged a mini recovery, before Saika and Shreyanka jolted England in the 12th and 13th overs respectively with their twin strikes.


BRIEF SCORES: England 126 (Knight 52, Patil 3/19, Ishaque 3/22) lost to India 127/5 (Mandhana 48, Rodrigues 29, Kemp 2/24) by five wickets.

Tests

One-off Test, Day 1

Gaurav Gupta, Dec 15, 2023: The Times of India

Navi Mumbai : Playing at home for the first time in nine years, and playing their first Test match in more than two years, India women’s team announced its return in entertaining style, giving the England women’s team a taste of ‘Bazball’.


The fascinating brand of aggressive batting that India showcased on Thursday saw them score at 4.36 per over and smash 62 fours and a couple of sixes after deciding to bat first on a batting beauty. The performance from belied the fact that they had been away from Tests for so long and served as a perfect advertisement for this format in the women’s game.


Sadly, only a few were there in the stadium to watch it live. Fuelled by scintillating and stroke-filled halfcenturies from debutants Shubha Satheesh (69; 76b, 13x4) — who was informed of her Test debut and the No. 3 batting position on the morning of the game — and Jemimah Rodrigues (68; 99b, 11x4), wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (66; 88b, 10x4, 1x6), and allrounder Deepti Sharma (60 not out; 95b, 9x4, 1x6), India concluded Day One at 410/7 in 94 overs in the one-off Women’s Test at the DY Patil Stadium.


Not to be ignored were a couple of vital contributions from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (49; 81b, 6x4) — leading India for the first time in Tests — and Sneh Rana (30; 73b, 5x4). The only sore spot with the bat was the way Harmanpreet got run out, beaten by a direct throw by Danni Wyatt at mid-off as her bat got stuck in the turf after she decided against taking a single.


It was the same error which cost the Indian captain her wicket in the T20 World Cup semifinal against Australia earlier this year. This is now India’s third-highest Test total overall — they can overtake the highest — 467 against England at Taunton in 2002 on Fri day, and the highest total India have put up at home. It’s also the most runs that have been scored in a single day in a women’s Test in India.


India’s relentless charge included two century partnerships — 115 in 146 balls for the third wicket between Rodrigues and Shubha and 116 for the fifth wicket in 146 balls between Yastika and Harmanpreet. Then there was a stand of 92 in 147 balls between Deepti and Rana. Scores: Ind Wom 410/7 (Shubha 69, Rodrigues 68, Bhatia 66) vs Eng Wom.

One-off Test, Day 2: Deepti demolishes England

Gaurav Gupta, Dec 16, 2023: The Times of India

Navi Mumbai : On September 24, 2022, Deepti Sharma became the most infamous cricketer in the UK after controversially running out England’s Charlie Dean for backing up too far. From Dec 15, 2023, England will remember her not for breaking the ‘spirit of cricket’, but for ‘excellence in cricket’.


Coming on to bowl as late as the 26th over on a vicious turner on Day Two of the one-off women’s Test, the off-spinning allrounder, following up on her 67 with the bat in the first innings, wreaked havoc on England’s batting. Deepti took 5/7 in a sensational spell of 5.3 overs — which included four maidens — to shoot out the visitors for 136 in 35.3 overs.


With the wicket offering considerable turn and bounce, Deepti and her fellow off-spinner Sneh Rana (2-25 in six overs) ran through England’s leaden-footed batters, who were undone by the tendency to play viciously turning deliveries on the backfoot.


With India’s off-spinners triggering a stunning collapse, the visitors lost their last seven wickets for just 28 runs in 61 balls. The final six wickets fell for 10 runs in 29 balls.


Deepti became only the second Indian cricketer to grab five wickets and score a fifty in a women’s Test after Shubhangi Kulkarni, who achieved this rare feat in 1985 against New Zealand when she scored 79 and picked up six for 99 in a drawn match.


It was a manic Friday on which 19 wickets fell, 15 of them by the spinners on either side. Choosing to bat for a second time, the hosts were 186/6 at stumps, sitting on a lead of 478 runs.


No one has ever scored that many to win a women’s Test. Off-spinner Charlie Dean took 4/68 in the second innings, but it was a case of too late, too little for England.


The only worry for India is a bad finger injury, a hairline fracture, that prevented debutant Shubha Satheesh, who cracked a magnificent half-century on Day One, from batting in the second innings. The young left-hander now looks to be in doubt for the one-off Test against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium from Dec 21-24.


With allrounder Natt Sciver-Brunt (59; 70b, 10x4) batting beautifully, England, having wrapped up India’s last three wickets for 18 runs in the morning, looked even stevens at one stage, before Deepti’s 33-ball magic happened.


‘Love playing Tests’


After the day’s play, Deepti, who was playing her third Test, confessed that she “loves Test cricket.” “I love to play Tests, because you can take your time. More importantly, you have a lot of time to stage a comeback if you lose your way slightly,” she said. She admitted that even the hosts “didn’t know that the wicket would help the spinners so much”.


“I was waiting for my bowling. The wicket was helping the spinners, I was thinking how we could use it. I wanted to bowl in the right areas.” she said.


BRIEF SCORES: India 428 (Shubha Satheesh 69, Jemima Rodrigues 68, Yastika Bhatia 66, Deepti Sharma 67) & 186/6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 44*; Charlie Dean 4-68) lead England 136 (Nat Sciver-Brunt 59, Deepti Sharma 5-7) by 478 runs.

One-off Test, Day 3, India wins

Gaurav Gupta, Dec 17, 2023: The Times of India

Navi Mumbai, India vs England, one-off Women's Test, 2023
From: Gaurav Gupta, Dec 17, 2023: The Times of India

See graphic:

Navi Mumbai, India vs England, one-off Women's Test, 2023

They had to wait for nine long years before playing a Test at home. But when they did get the opportunity, all the Indian women’s team needed was two days and a morning — seven sessions in all — to thoroughly outclass England by 347 runs in the one-off Test at the DY Patil Stadium.

It was the biggest-ever victory margin in women’s Tests in terms of runs, breaking the record set in 1998 when Sri Lanka whipped Pakistan by 309 runs in Colombo.It is also India’s first Test win over England at home.

This rout of England on a turner will give India tremendous confidence going into the one-off Test at the Wankhede Stadium from Dec 21 against Australia, the top guns of women’s cricket. The only setback for India would that young batter Shubha Satheesh, who scored a half-century on debut, is unlikely to be available owing to a finger fracture — an injury she suffered before play began on Day 2.

Declaring at their overnight score of 186/6, India demolished England for 131 in 27.3 overs. For the second time in two days, off-spinner Deepti Sharma — following up on her sensational spell of 5/7 in 5.3 overs — tormented the visitors, taking 4/32 in eight overs to finish with match figures of 9/39 while bowling just 80 balls. However, the bowler who blew away England’s top-order in the second innings was allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, who moved the ball beautifully to take 3/23 in four overs.

Needing 427 to win, England were 27 for no loss when Test debutante Renuka Singh Thakur drew first blood, dislodging Tammy Beaumont’s off-stump with a beauty that held its line. England were then rocked by Vastrakar’s triple strike.

Coming as one change, she had Sophia Dunkley (15) caught at gully by substitute Harleen Deol. She then got Nat Sciver-Brunt out for a rare duck and then had England captain Heather Knight nicking one behind the stumps.

Capitalising on the early blows landed by the pacers, Deepti, well-supported by left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/20), then bared her fangs, getting Danni Wyatt (12) caught at slip, Amy Jones (5) pouched by Shafali Verma at short mid-wicket, uprooting Kate Cross’s leg stump with a flighted, turning delivery, and then castling Lauren Filer (0).

With Gayakwad getting into the act, Deepti missed out on her second fifer and a 10-wicket haul by a whisker.

Brief scores: India 428 (Shubha 69, Rodrigues 68, Deepti 67, Bhatia 66, Bell 3-67, Ecclestone 3-91) and 186/6 declared (Harmanpreet 44*, Dean 4/68) beat England 136 (Sciver-Brunt 59, Deepti 5/7) and 131 (Deepti 4/32, Vastrakar 3/23) by 347 runs.

2024

Australia vs. India

Only Test, Mumbai: India wins

Gaurav Gupta, Dec 23, 2023: The Times of India

BATTERS DELIGHT

' Fifties By Smriti, Jemimah, Richa, Deepti Help India Take 157-Run Lead Vs Oz Women

Mumbai : The Indian women’s team’s peerless allrounders Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar continue to show off their class in a maiden two-Test season.
At one point in the second session on Day Two of their one-off women’s Test against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, India seemed to be wobbling.

Having lost four wickets for 14 runs in 53 balls, they had been reduced to 274 for seven, with just a first innings lead of 55 runs until then. Staging a remarkable fightback through off-spinner Ashleigh Gardener, who bowled her heart out while taking four for 100 in 41 overs of toil spread across two days, Australia, for the first time in the Test, looked on even keel with India.


However, Deepti (70 not out, 147b, 9x4) and Pooja (33 not out, 115b, 4x4) put on a splendid, unbeaten 102-run stand for the eighth wicket in 242 balls to put India back in the driver’s seat and take the game further and further away from the Aussies.


Deepti is now just the second batter in Test history to have scored a fifty in each of her first four Tests after Australia’s Denise Emerson. In an excellent display of character, patience and temperament, the duo, now just five runs shy of breaking the Indian record in Test cricket for the eighth wicket, put their heads down, choosing the loose balls to hit and blocking out the rest. 
Having grinded her way to six off 46 balls initially, Deepti changed gears wonderfully once she had her eye in, using her feet to smother the spinners to mid-wicket or straight down the ground. Pooja, who chipped in with scores of 10* & 17* in the one-off Test against England at the DY Patil Stadium last week, is yet to be dismissed in her last three Test innings.


Earlier, India’s young guns, debutant Richa Ghosh (52, 104b, 7x4) and Jemimah Rodrigues (73, 121b, 9x4) coasted to a 113-run 187-ball partnership for the fourth wicket to put their team in a strong position. Ghosh, normally an ultraaggressive batter, was admirably composed in the middle, choosing only the balls pitched in her area to punish, though luck favoured her when she was dropped on 14 — Ellyse Perry grassing a sitter at mid-off off the unlucky Gardener. Her jugalbandi with local girl Rodrigues, who stroked her second half-century in her second Test, was a joy to watch-both employed the sweep shot successfully to nullify Australia’s spinners.


“It’s a fifty on my Test debut, so it feels great. It’s Test cricket, so it’s bound to test you. I had to come out of my comfort zone at some time or the other. Today was that day. When Jemi walked in, we told each other we had to build a partnership. She encouraged me a lot. It felt good,” Ghosh told reporters later.
With Smriti Mandhana (74, 106b, 12x4) losing out on a chance to score a back-to-back Test hundreds against the Aussies when she was run out while going for a single, India slowed down their pace, but continued their march on a hazy day in Mumbai, towards realising their big dream of recording their maiden Test win over Australia.


Even though they lost skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for a two-ball duck (lbw to a Gardner delivery that kept low) and Yastika Bhatia for 1 (missed a sweep off Gardner), the hosts, who resumed at their overnight score of 119 for one, rode on half-centuries by four of their batters and a useful contribution by Vastrakar to finish at 376 for seven. With a 157-lead in the bag, India are calling the shots in this Test.


Grinding the Australian attack into submission after initially attacking them, India crawled their way to 278 runs in 100 overs for the loss of six wickets on Friday to keep their date with history on Day Three of this Test. On a deteriorating wicket, where the odd ball is keeping really low, the hosts should fancy wrapping up their second Test win on the trot inside three days.


Having been outplayed on Day 1, Australia were far more resilient on Day 2, but for some reason, their fine fielding skills, normally their core competency, deserted them. Tahlia McGrath twice fumbled at mid-off to gift easy fours to Mandhana. Inexplicably, even as they tried as many as seven bowlers, Australia didn’t give a single over to experienced seam Perry, their most experienced bowling allrounder, who has 12 Tests under her belt.


SCORES: India Women 376/7 (S Mandhana 74, J Rodrigues 73, D Sharma 70*, R Ghosh 52; Gardner 4-100) lead Australia Women (219) by 157 runs.

ODIs

2nd ODI, Mumbai: Australia wins

Gaurav Gupta, Dec 30, 2023: The Times of India

Heartbreak for hosts as Oz prevail

Richa’s 96, Deepti’s Fifer Not Enough As India Women L ose 2nd ODI By 3 Runs In Another Series Loss At Home

Mumbai : India fought hard but went down by three runs in a thrilling second women’s ODI against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday night. Keeping their nerves at the crunch, the Aussies, who now have an unassailable 2-0 lead, have maintained their record of not having lost an ODI series in India.
India were propelled by Richa Ghosh’s career-best 96 off 117 balls and off-spinning allrounder Deepti Sharma’s 5/38, but were left to rue their shoddy fielding, which saw them drop as many as seven catches. There was also some really slow batting towards the end by Deepti, who consumed 36 balls for her 24 not out while managing only one four.


Hurt badly by cramps but perhaps finding her energy from the 3,000-odd enthusiastic spectators, Ghosh valiantly kept producing the boundaries, but all Deepti contributed was eight runs in a 47-run partnership for the fifth wicket as the asking rate kept creeping up as India chased 259. 
Eventually, Ghosh, much to her frustration, was caught by Phoebe Litchfield at cover off pacer Annabel Sutherland, who then took the wickets of Pooja Vastrakar (8) and Amanjot Kaur (4) to finish with 3-47 in 9 overs and the ‘Player of the Match’ award.


India needed 16 in the final two overs but a superb penultimate over by off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner, which went for just three runs, pegged the hosts back. While they took Sutherland for two fours in the final over, India eventually missed out by a whisker.


Even as they too dropped four catches, Australia did pull off a brilliant one which made a huge difference in the close game, as Litchfield pulled of a blinder at cover to end the well-set Jemimah Rodrigues’ (44; 55b, 3x4) stay at the wicket in the 34th over.


Joining forces at 71/2 in the 16th over, Ghosh, who was dropped on 0 (by Litchfield at first slip) and 36 (at long-off by Sutherland ) and Rodrigues had added 88 in 108 balls for the third wicket to put India on course to chase down 259. Promoted to the No. 3 spot, Ghosh justified the team management’s faith in her batting abilities, though she will be disappointed not to have taken India over the line.


Earlier, Deepti returned the best-ever figures ever by an Indian women’s team bowler against Australia, but India’s unbelievably mediocre fielding let them down badly, allowing the Aussies to make 258/8 after they elected to bat.
Deepti, introduced in the 22nd over, broke the 77-run second wicket partnership in 88 balls between Elysse Perry (50, 47b, 5x4, 1x6) and Litchfield (63, 98b, 6x4) to bring India back into the game. It was a lucky break for India as Perry pulled a short ball straight to debutant Shreyanka Patil at short mid-wicket.


Capitalizing on a dry wicket that offered her turn, Deepti then had Beth Mooney leg-before and the in-form Tahlia McGrath castled with one that was too close for the late cut. 
Sneh subbed after collision


In a blow for India, off-spinning all-rounder Sneh Rana had to be replaced by concussion substitute Harleen Deol after complaining of headache following a nasty collision with Vastrakar.


Brief scores: Australia 258/8 (Litchfield 63, Perry 50, Deepti 5-38) beat India 255/8 (Ghosh 96, Sutherland 3-47, Wareham 2-39) by three runs

3rd ODI, Mumbai: Australia wins

Gaurav Gupta, January 2, 2024: The Times of India

Australia whitewash India, expose hosts’ fielding woes

ODI SERIES

Mumbai : The Indian women’s team couldn’t have started 2024 on a worse note. Putting out a shambolic bowling, fielding and batting display in a long time, India suffered a humiliating 190-run thrashing at the hands of a relentless Australia in the third and final women’s ODI at the Wankhede Stadium.


More than the 3-0 series defeat, what should worry India -with two World Cups in the next two years -is their abysmal fielding standard, which is light years behind Australia.


“I don’t think there’s any reason (for the poor fielding). We need to accept what we’ve done. We’ve not played to our highest potential. And especially in the fielding department, we did a lot of work. We need to still continue. We have been working on it, but definitely not the standard expected for the Indian women’s cricket team, but I can assure you that we will work on it and come back stronger,” Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues said later. Two moments watching Australia’s sharp, athletic fielding stood out in complete contrast to what one saw in the afternoon, when India struggled to even stop the ball, let alone catch it. Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield virtually flew to her right at cover to pull off a stunner to send India’s Amanjot Kaur back to the pavilion. A few balls later, Tahila McGrath leapt high in the air to pluck out a catch to dismiss Shreyanka Patil off Annabel Sutherland.


Before they avenged their maiden defeat in the one-off Test against India at this ven ue with a clean sweep against the same opponents, the Aussies signed off with another moment of magic, a s leg-spinner Alana King brought back the memories of her idol, spin wizard Shane Warne, by cleaning up Pooja Vastrakar’s stumps with one that pitched outside leg stump and turned viciously to hit the top of off stump.


Brief scores: Australia 338/7 (Phoebe Litchfield 119, Alyssa Healy 82; Shreyanka Patil 3-57) vs India 148 all out (Smriti Mandhana 29; Georgia Wareham 3-23, Annabel Sutherland 2-9).

T20Is

3rd T20, Navi Mumbai: Australia wins

Rajesh Pansare, January 10, 2024: The Times of India

JUST TWO GOOD!

Healy, Mooney Star In 7-Wkt Romp As Oz Women Seal T20 Series 2-1 
 Navi Mumbai : Alyssa Healy led from the front as Australia beat India by seven wickets in the deciding T20I to win the three-match series 2-1 at the DY Patil Stadium. The Aussie skipper kept well, marshalled her resources to perfection and topped it up with her 16th T20I half-century to guide Aussies to their fifth T20I series win over India and third one on Indian soil. That she received able support from her bowlers, fielders and fellow batters made the going easy for her.


Chasing a target of 148, Healy’s 38-ball 55, which was laced with nine fours and one six, and her opening wicket stand of 85 in 10 overs with Beth Mooney (52*, 45b; 5x4) took the game away from India in a jiffy. It was India’s fourth-straight T20I series loss on home soil. Previously, they had lost to South Africa (2021), Australia (2022) and England (2023). Their last series win at home came against South Africa in 2019.


India’s bowlers started aggressively but once the initial movement died down, and the pitch became conducive to hitting through the line, Healy decided to take on young medium-pacer Titas Sadhu by hitting her for three boundaries in the fourth over.


Australia didn’t look back. In the next over, Mooney hit Renuka Singh for two fours and a six. Healy got a reprieve when she was on 38 as the inconclusive TV replays meant she was adjudged not out after she was caught at point by Jemimah Rodrigues off Pooja Vastrakar (2-26). Indians were confident that the catch was taken cleanly but based on the television replays, the third umpire ruled it not out. There were some jitters towards the end when Vastrakar dismissed Tahlia McGrath (20, 15b; 4x4) and Ellyse Perry (0) off back-to-back deliveries, but Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield (17*, 13b; 3x4) guided them over the line.


Earlier, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said at the toss that she wanted the batters to be more assertive. They tried their best but every time it looked like they had the measure of the Aussies, some im pressive bowling and equally magnificent fielding display by the visitors came India’s way. At the halfway mark, India were 66-4 and at one point looked like they would struggle to cross the 130-mark. But some useful contributions by Deepti Sharma (22, 18b; 2x4) and Richa Ghosh (34, 28b; 2x4, 3x6), and some quick runs by Amanjot Kaur (17*, 14b; 2x4) and Pooja Vastrakar (7*, 2b; 1x6) in the end helped India put up a fighting total of 147-6. India scored 47 off the last five overs. 
Brief scores: Australia Women 149/3 in 18.4 ovrs (Healy 55, Mooney 52*, Vastrakar 2/26) bt India Women 147/6 in 20 ovrs (Ghosh 34, Mandhana 29, Sutherland 2/12) by 7 wkts with 8 balls remaining.

South Africa vs India

ODIs

2024: India wins series

June 24, 2024: The Times of India

Smriti Mandhana continued her purple patch and capped a fine run with a record. The opener played another match-winning knock (90; 83b, 11x4) to help India register a 6-wicket win, which ensured a 3-0 series sweep over South Africa in the third and final ODI at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.


With a fine knock, Smriti took her three-match tally to 343, the highest individual score in a three-match bilateral ODI series in women’s cricket. She bettered South African Laura Wolvaardt’s record of 335.


Opting to bat first, South Africa were restricted to 215 for 8 in 50 overs with Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy scalping two wickets each. The target was not a tall order for the in-form home team, who reached the target in the 41st over.
Earlier, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt (61) and Tazmin Brits (38) laid a solid foundation with a 102-run opening-wicket stand. But the visitors lost wickets including both the openers and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession to slump to 143/5. 
Brief scores: South Africa 215 for 8 in 50 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 61, Tazmin Brits 38; Arundhati Reddy 2/36, Deepti Sharma 2/27) lost to India 220 for 4 in 40.4 overs (Smriti Mandhana 90, Harmanpreet Kaur 42) by six wickets.

Tests

2024: India wins

Neha Surana, July 2, 2024: The Times of India

Chennai : In the first two sessions on the opening day of their one off Test against South Africa, hosts India had ascertained their supremacy. They buried the visitors under an avalanche of runs (603/6 decl) and then the bowlers took over to flatten the opposition’s batting line-up. A late fightback from South Africa notwithstanding, India cruised to a 10-wicket win.


With this win, India extended their domination over SA, while the visitors remained winless in their tour.


Resuming at the overnight score of 232/2, and trailing India by 105 runs, South Africa lost a flurry of wickets in the first session but fought hard before folding up for 373. The Indian women broke no sweat to chase down a mere 37 runs and wrap up the contest.


Earlier, SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt (122, 314b; 16x4), who was just seven runs away from her century, started the proceedings with Marizanne Kapp (31). Kapp’s stay was cut short by Deepti Sharma with a delivery l that kept low and turned sharply to trap the SA batter in the front. In the next over, Delmi Tucker was sent back for a duck, the second time in this match by Sneh Rana.


After a few subdued overs, the visitors lost Wolvaardt, who fell to Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s guile. SA were staring down the barrel at 281 for five, but their lower order offered resistance and held. There was a lull period in the afternoon session when they accumulated just 34 runs in almost 30 overs.
 Nadine de Klerk (61, 185b; 8x4, 1x6) played a determined knock in her vigorous attempt to erase the deficit and secure a draw for the Proteas. Her watertight defence and play-it-safe approach frustrated the Indian bowlers.


Double-centurion Shafali Verma claimed her maiden Test wicket by dislodging Masabata Klaas’ bails with a delivery that spun from outside the off-stump. Two overs later Rajeshwari ended the resistance by cleaning up de Klerk’s wicket.


Brief scores: India 603/6 decl. & 37/0 in 9.2 overs bt SA 266 & 373 in 154.4 overs (Wolvaardt 122, Luus 109, de Klerk 61, Gayakwad 2-55, Deepti 2-95, Rana 2-111).