The ‘s delivered an impressive ,clinching a commanding victory by nine wickets in the match held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
captain Smriti Mandhana credited her bowlers for their cohesive effort after restricting the opposition to a mere 102 runs for eight wickets.
In a standout bowling display, Nikky Prasad took two wickets for just seven runs in her two overs. Alongside her, Kranti Gaud, Nandani Sharma, Deepti Sharma, and Shree Charni each contributed with a wicket. In response, India chased down the target in just 8.5 overs, thanks to explosive innings from Shafali Verma, who scored 55 runs, and Mandhana herself, who remained unbeaten at 47.
Following the match, Mandhana praised her bowlers, stating, “Today was a good day. Our bowlers were completely in rhythm, which was much better than the first match. They effectively utilized yorkers, slower balls, and bouncers. Additionally, spinners Deepti Sharma, Shree Charni, and Nikky Prasad also bowled excellently in their respective overs. Overall, our bowling unit truly performed well together. However, our fielding, particularly in catching, could have been better. That’s something we need to critically address.”
India made a strategic adjustment in their bowling approach, opting for fuller length deliveries in this match, which successfully curtailed Zimbabwe’s scoring opportunities. Mandhana noted, “As we discussed after the last match, there were some unknowns. We had seen a few of Zimbabwe’s batswomen, but today we implemented better plans based on their previous performance. While we had several good strategies, ultimately it’s up to the bowlers to execute them on the field. I felt they bowled with precision today.”
Highlighting Shafali’s performance, Mandhana said, “Shafali was doing her job beautifully during the powerplay; I was thrilled to support her with singles. Whenever I got the chance, I also played my shots. Overall, we enjoy playing cricket this way and will continue to do so.”