Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues lead India to ODI series win in Caribbean

Smriti Mandhana smashed a 63-ball 74 and raised a match-winning 141-run partnership with fellow opener Jemimah Rodrigues (69 off 92) on Wednesday night to hand India a six-wicket victory.

Comeback-girl Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues hit contrasting half-centuries to lead the Indian women’s team to a 2-1 series victory over the West Indies with a comfortable six-wicket win in the deciding third ODI in Antigua.

Mandhana, who missed the first two matches of the series due to a toe injury, smashed a 63-ball 74 and raised a match-winning 141-run partnership with fellow opener Rodrigues (69 off 92) on Wednesday night.

A solid foundation in place, India cruised to the 195-run target in 42.1 overs after the Indian bowlers did a commendable job of bowling out the hosts for a sub-par 194 in exact 50 overs.

Seasoned pacer Jhulan Goswami (2/30) and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2/35) shared four wickets between them, troubling the rival middle order after the West Indies elected to bat.

It was pacer Shikha Pandey and leg-spinner Rajeshwari Gaekwad, who removed the top-order as five of the six Indian bowlers in action, were among wickets.

Stefanie Taylor kept fighting for the hosts with a combative 79-run knock but ran short of partners as other West Indies batters struggled to negotiate India’s attack.

Apart from Taylor only Atacy-Ann King showed some stomach for fight with a 45-ball 38. Left-handed Mandhana was her usual aggressive self, punishing the West Indies bowlers with nine shots to the fence and three over the ropes.

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It was her first ODI since the home series against England in February and third half-century in a row, having scored 63 and 66 against the British team in Mumbai. Rodrigues, who had scored 41 in India’s defeat in the opening ODI, took 92 balls for her 69-run knock which had six boundaries. The two teams will now play a five-match Twenty20 series, beginning Sunday at Gros Islet.

Brief Scores: West Indies 194 all out in 50 overs (Stefanie Taylor 79, Stacy Ann King 38; Jhulan Goswami 2/30) lost to India 195 for 4 in 42.1 overs (Smriti Mandhana 77, Jemimah Rodrigues 69; Hayley Mathews 3/27) by six wickets.

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