India batswoman Smriti Mandhana’s eighth ODI century had India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the deciding game to seal the three-match Women's ODI series 2-1 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Mandhana (100 off 122 balls), a style befitting her calibre, made her 8th ODI hundred century, the most by an Indian.
India was set against a 233-run target in 44.2 overs by New Zealand.
Coming into the decider, Mandhana had only scored five runs in the two previous games and was even off-coloured in the preceding T20 World Cup, but her 123-ball stay at the crease, and her 118-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (59 not out off 63) formed the cornerstone of the easy win.
She lost opening partner Shafali Verma (12) early but wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (35) played an ideal foil for the senior teammate as they stitched together a 76-run partnership.
Yastika was ousted trying to play a fuller ball outside off but ended up giving a return catch to New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine.
Her departure brought Harmanpreet to the crease and the partnership with Mandhana flourished, with the latter smashing 10 boundaries.
By the time Mandhana departed on 209, bowled by right-arm pacer Hannah Rowe in the 41st over, she had virtually accomplished the task for India.
Earlier, New Zealand middle-order batter Halliday struck a 96-ball 86 and lifted New Zealand to a fighting total.
To start with, the Indian bowlers fired in unison and had the visitors in all sorts of trouble with their disciplined line and length.
Looking to win the series and regain some lost ground after their early exit in the T20 World Cup, India began the match in earnest and struck twice to leave the Kiwis at 25 for two in 7.1 overs.
Jemimah Rodrigues and wicket-keeper Yastika combined to run out Suzie Bates while Lauren Down was discarded by Saima Thakor at the start of the eighth over.
Introduced in the 11th over, young leg-spinner Priya Mishra (2/41 in 10 overs) gave India a breakthrough when she bowled New Zealand captain Sophie Devine (9 off 11 balls), leaving the visitors in a spot of bother 36 for three.
New Zealand's hopes of putting up a competitive score rested on the shoulders of Georgia Plimmer, who dropped anchor considering the situation her team found itself in.
However, having ambled to 39, Plimmer was dismissed by Mishra, and her innings lasted 67 balls. Maddy Green was run out for a 15-ball 19 as New Zealand slipped to 88 for five in the 24th over.
In search of a partnership, the Kiwis finally found some flow to their innings with Halliday and wicketkeeper batter Isabella Gaze (25 off 49 balls) adding 64 runs for the sixth wicket.
New Zealand Women Innings: Suzie Bates run out 4 Georgia Plimmer c Deepti Sharma b Priya Mishra 39 Lauren Down c Yastika Bhatia b Saima Thakor 1 Sophie Devine b Priya Mishra 9 Brooke Halliday c Radha Yadav b Deepti Sharma 86 Maddy Green run out 15 Isabella Gaze c and b Deepti Sharma 25 Hannah Rowe lbw b Deepti Sharma 11 Lea Tahuhu not out 24 Eden Carson c Radha Yadav b Renuka Singh 2 Fran Jonas run out 2 Extras: (lb-4, w-9, nb-1) 14 Total: 232 all out in 49.5 overs Fall of wickets: 24-1, 25-2, 36-3, 66-4, 88-5, 152-6, 199-7, 210-8, 219-9 Bowling: Renuka Singh 10-1-49-1, Saima Thakor 9.5-1-44-1, Priya Mishra 10-1-41-2, Deepti Sharma 10-2-39-3, Radha Yadav 4-0-21-0, Harmanpreet Kaur 6-0-34-0.
India Women Innings: Smriti Mandhana b Hannah Rowe 100 Shafali Verma c Isabella Gaze b Hannah Rowe 12 Yastika Bhatia c and b Sophie Devine 35 Harmanpreet Kaur not out 59 Jemimah Rodrigues lbw b Fran Jonas 22 Tejal Hasabnis not out 0 Extras: (lb-2, w-6) 8 Total: 236/4 in 44.2 overs Fall of wickets: 16-1, 92-2, 209-3, 232-4 Bowling: Lea Tahuhu 6-0-30-0, Hannah Rowe 8-0-47-2, Eden Carson 10-0-45-0, Sophie Devine 7.2-0-44-1, Suzie Bates 4-0-18-0, Fran Jonas 9-1-50-1.
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