Navi Mumbai: A comprehensive 49-run win in the series opener in the bag, India will look to iron out their perpetual flaws in fielding when they take on the West Indies in the second women’s T20I here on Tuesday.
Give a short turnaround time between their final ODI in Australia and the opening T20I here on Sunday, India produced a near-perfect performance to extend their winning streak to nine wins against the Caribbean side in T20Is.
But the persistent issue of being ordinary in the field came forth once again when each of Jemimah Rodrigues (73), Smriti Mandhana (54) and Saima Thakor spilled a regulation catch each.
Thakor dropped Qiana Joseph (49) when she was on 34 and the dangerous Deandra Dottin, who smacked a 28-ball 52 (4x4s, 3x6s), was dropped once each by Rodrigues and Mandhana when she was on a flourish.
The dropped catches somewhat marred excellent efforts in the field by Minnu Manu, who had substituted Harmanpreet Kaur as the Indian captain missed most of India’s fielding innings due to an unspecified issue.
While the team did not specify what kept Kaur out of the field, the Indian captain did not look troubled in any manner during her 14-ball 13 not out.
Shortly after India’s win, the coaching staff got working with youngsters Priya Mishra, Raghvi Bisht and Nandini Kashyap for a session of catching practice even though the nip in the air made their task difficult. But as the team keeps putting their efforts to improve fielding, regular mistakes drag them down.
Nevertheless, India’s batters gave a fine example of themselves by producing a unified effort. At the top, Uma Chetry (24) played some spectacular drives through cover region in her first game as opener and Mandhana followed up her 105 in third ODI at Perth with her sixth fifty of the year.
But it was Rodrigues who showed her skills beyond leg-side region stroke-play in making a 35-ball 73 with nine fours and two sixes, producing a terrific knock which was indeed one of her best in the formats.
The West Indies were disappointed having not done justice to the preparations made for this tour, but the likes of Joseph, Dottin and Karishma Ramharack (2/18) showed the promise of this side which has won most of their games in this format this year.
Both Joseph and Dottin used the long handle to an excellent effect but wickets fell at the wrong time for West Indies’ liking, who will certainly have to do better with the ball, having bowled 10 wides in the first game.
Squads:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Nandini Kashyap, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana, Raghvi Bist, Renuka Thakur, Priya Mishra, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav.
West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Nerissa Crafton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Rashada Williams.
Match starts at: 7:00 pm IST.
