India Women Start Strong in 1st T20I Against West Indies
By Sourav Paul
Cricket writer writing stories for true cricket enthusiasts.
Posted: December 15, 2024
Last updated: February 12, 2025
India and West Indies Women are facing off in the opening T20 International at Dr. DY Patil University Sports Ground, Navi Mumbai. The match commenced with West Indies winning the toss and opting to bowl first.
In the opening T20I, India Women reached a commendable score of 50/0 after just 6 overs, demonstrating a strong batting performance against the West Indies bowlers. Smriti Mandhana played a significant role in this start, remaining unbeaten at 23 runs from 13 deliveries, which included hitting the first six of the night over wide long-on off Hayley Matthews.
Uma Chetry also contributed significantly to the scoreboard with a steady 24 runs from as many as 23 balls. Her innings included four boundaries, adding to India’s promising start with a run rate of 8.33 in the early stages of the innings.
The West Indies bowling attack, led by captain Hayley Matthews along with Shamilia Connell and Karishma Ramharack, couldn’t secure any early wickets. Despite the efforts of Chinelle Henry and Zaida James, they were unable to break the opening partnership, allowing India to build a solid foundation.
This match is notable not only as India’s first T20I engagement since their exit in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, but it also marks the T20I debut of India’s Saima Thakor, adding further excitement to the series.
Key players for India in this series include Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who are expected to play crucial roles in the team’s success. Meanwhile, West Indies are entering the frame following their last outing in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup against New Zealand, a match that ended in defeat for them.
In conclusion, the opening stages of this match have set the tone for an engaging series, with India showing strength at the top while West Indies will seek to find breakthroughs in their bowling to gain control of the game.
19:30 IST
