IND vs NZ, Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: New Zealand proves too good for India in opening clash

New Zealand’s three senior pros – skipper Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu – rallied a young Kiwi side to register a crucial opening win in the UAE.

Eden Carson removed both Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana inside the PowerPlay. | Photo Credit: AP

In the run-up to its tournament opener against New Zealand, all of India’s focus was on that number 3 slot. Perhaps, it would have been prudent to focus on the rest of the lineup too as a spectacular batting collapse resigned the Women in Blue to a 58-run loss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

New Zealand’s three senior pros – skipper Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu – rallied a young Kiwi side to register a crucial opening win in the UAE.

Chasing 161, which would have been the second-biggest chase in the tournament’s history, India lost Shafali Verma in the second over with Eden Carson taking a simple catch off her own bowling.

India lost Smriti Mandhana and its new number 3 batter, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, within the PowerPlay, leaving the chase in a spot of bother. The idea of bumping Harmanpreet up the order was to allow her some time to settle in and then up the scoring, but she never got to the second part of that strategy.

With Jemimah Rodrigues also back before the 10th over, the onus of seeing the game through fell on Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma. However, desperation drove Richa to try and manufacture a shot off Tahuhu in the 11th over, only to find Devine at mid-off.

Sophie Devine led from the front with a fluent and unbeaten 57 where she put her full arsenal of shots and impeccable footwork on display. | Photo Credit: AP

By then, a considerable number of fans who were up on their feet with India flags and ‘RCB, RCB’ chants began making their way back home. The mood spread to the Indian dugout too with the Indian head coach sitting in silence as the Indian innings wrapped up inside 19 overs.

Earlier, the White Ferns opted to bat in relatively cooler conditions and found the ball coming on nicely. Batters were able to use the pace of the ball to just nudge the ball to the boundary ropes. New Zealand raced away to 55/0 in the PowerPlay.

This run machine was generously oiled by a buttery fielding show. Arundhati Reddy once again found herself at the receiving end of this, with a misfield conceding a boundary and a sitter shockingly dropped by Ghosh that allowed Suzie Bates a life. Bates and Georgia Plimmer made 67 before Arundhati finally got her wicket, with Bates holing out to Shreyanka Patil at cow corner.

Amelia Kerr joined Plimmer but struggled throughout her eventful stay at the crease. Striking at a lacklustre rate of 59.09, Kerr looked like she hoped to be anywhere but on the field.

Off the last ball of the 14th over, Kerr was seemingly run out, but the umpires denied India the wicket or the run to Kerr after bringing a retreating Kerr back from the ropes. Umpires ruled the ball dead due to the delayed call, effectively ending the play after the single was completed, a decision that had the Indians up in arms, with animated discussions from players and staff following suit. Kerr fell in the very next over, holing out to Pooja Vastrakar at cover off Renuka Singh’s bowling.

Devine then led from the front with a fluent and unbeaten 57 where she put her full arsenal of shots and impeccable footwork on display to ensure that in the dry and sapping skies of the Middle East, this Kiwi would enjoy some time in flight.