India vs West Indies Women Cricket Highlights, 1st T20I: India Women triumph over West Indies by 49 runs

Ramharack’s over was a tight one, with Chetry unable to find the boundary. She defended most of the balls, including a length delivery on the stumps and a full ball around off, both of which she played with caution. On the final ball, Chetry flicked a length ball for a quick single between square leg and short midwicket, capping off a controlled over from Ramharack.

IND at 39/0 after 5 overs.

3.1 Matthews to Mandhana, FOUR runs
Matthews starts with a high full toss, and Smriti Mandhana quickly pulls it over midwicket, beating the boundary rider to her right for a boundary.

3.2 Matthews to Mandhana, FOUR runs
Mandhana showcases her class. The ball is tossed up around off, and she goes inside out, driving it beautifully through extra cover for back-to-back fours.

Chinelle Henry delivers a length ball around off, and Uma Chetry reacts with a stunning shot. She clears her front leg and lofts the ball over the bowler’s head. Chetry expertly checks her shot, focusing on perfect timing and placement. The result is a beautifully timed drive that bisects mid-off and mid-on, racing to the boundary for another four.

Back-to-back fours from Uma Chetry! In the 1.5th over, Zaida James bowled a full delivery just outside off, and Chetry smashed it through cover and extra cover for a boundary. She followed that up with another full ball around off, which Chetry beautifully drove through the covers for her first boundary of the match.

At the end of the first over, India Women are 5/0, with a run rate of 5.00. Uma Chetry is on 2 from 5 balls, while Smriti Mandhana has scored 1 from 1 ball. Chinelle Henry bowled the over, conceding 5 runs from her first over.

Smriti Mandhana and Uma Chetry are set to open the innings for India. Chetry was in remarkable form last month during the domestic T20 Challenger Trophy, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer with 231 runs at a striking rate of 154.00. Notably, she registered the tournament’s only century, smashing 122 off 71 balls. While Chetry has featured in four T20Is, she has had just one opportunity to bat in the format.

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first. Captain Hayley Matthews noted that the pitch is unlikely to change significantly and expressed confidence after productive net sessions to adapt to the conditions.

1 Hayley Matthews (capt), 2 Qiana Joseph, 3 Shemaine Campbelle (wk), 4 Deandra Dottin, 5 Chinelle Henry, 6 Shabika Gajnabi, 7 Afy Fletcher, 8 Zaida James, 9 Mandy Mangru, 10 Aaliyah Alleyne, 10 Shamilia Connell, 11 Karishma Ramharack

India

1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Uma Chetry, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Richa Ghosh, 6 Sajana Sajeevan, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Radha Yadav, 9 Saima Thakor, 10 Titas Sadhu, 11 Renuka Singh

Harmanpreet Kaur shared that India would have opted to bowl first as well, emphasizing the team’s strong performances at home, which boosts their confidence. She announced that Saima Thakor is making her T20I debut in this match. The playing XI includes three pacers, while Minnu Mani, Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra, and Nandini Kashyap miss out.

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first, putting India in to bat. The decision sets the stage for an exciting contest as both teams aim to make a strong start to the series.

This will be West Indies’ first match in any format since their semi-final loss to New Zealand at the T20 World Cup. Historically, they have struggled against India in T20Is, winning only 8 of the 21 matches played between the two teams.

This series marks India’s first T20I assignment since their group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup. Prior to this, they endured a 3-0 loss in a three-match ODI series in Australia, leaving the team low on confidence. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized the significance of the series, acknowledging its importance in rebuilding their confidence ahead of the opening match.

India Women

Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Priya Mishra.

West Indies Women

Hayley Matthews (C), Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle, Chinelle Henry, Rashada Williams, Mandy Mangru, Zaida James, Aaliyah Alleyne, Karishma Ramharack, Afy Fletcher, Shamilia Connell.

The Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy stadium, which hosted India Women’s one-off Test, boasts a pitch enhanced with soil imported from South Africa to ensure greater bounce and durability. It also serves as the home ground for the Mumbai Indians Women’s team in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), giving some top players a familiar playing environment. As for the weather, clear skies are expected with no significant threat of rain.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Nandini Kashyap, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Deepti Sharma, Sajana Sajeevan, Raghvi Bist, Renuka Singh 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

Welcome to our live coverage of the India Women vs West Indies Women T20I series opener! The match kicks off today, December 15, at the Dr. DY Patil University Sports Ground, Navi Mumbai. Stay tuned for live updates, scores, and key moments from the exciting contest!