Auckland: A shoddy batting performance by the middle-order saw Indian women lose a nail-biting second T20 International against New Zealand by four wickets and concede the three-match series here, Friday. The Indian eves had lost the first game by 23 runs. The Kiwis now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.
Needing a win to keep the series alive, the Indian women posted a modest 135 for six despite being 72 for two after the first 10 overs.
Chasing a modest target, New Zealand made a heavy weather of the chase before scampering home off the last ball of the match losing six wickets.
“I think we should give credit to our bowlers, it wasn’t a good total but still they fought for us. We were 20 runs short, they (New Zealand) played better cricket than us. We just need to learn from our mistakes and play better,” India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match.
For India batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues (72, 53b, 6×4, 1×6) played a stellar knock. But other than the in-form Smriti Mandhana (36, 27b, 3×4, 1×6), no one could keep the scoreboard ticking. The Indian eves could only score 63 runs in the last 10 overs.
The White Ferns lost two quick wickets – opener Sophie Devine (19) and Caitlin Gurrey (4) by the seventh over with the scoreboard reading 40.
But then Suzie Bates (62, 52b, 5×4) and Amy Satterthwaite (23) put on 61 runs for the third wicket to get New Zealand women back into the track.
Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav (2/23) and medium pacer Arundhati Reddy (2/22) bowled well for the Indian eves.
New Zealand needed nine runs off the last over and Katey Martin smacked Mansi Joshi for a boundary off the first ball to bring down the equation to five off five. Joshi, however, got her revenge by getting through the defence of Martin in the next ball.
But it was not to be India’s day as some sloppy fielding and sensible batting by Hannah Rowe and Leigh Kasperek took New Zealand home.
Brief scores: India women 135 for 6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 72, Smriti Mandhana 36; Roesemary Mair 2/17) lost to New Zealand women 136/6 in 20 overs (Suzie Bates 51, Radha Yadav 2/23) by four wickets.
PTI