India got their World Cup warm-up campaign off to a winning start with a 26-run victory over West Indies in Cardiff on Monday. Put in to bat first, India posted 179/8 before restricting West Indies to 153/8 from their 20 overs.
The result was encouraging, but it was far from a perfect performance. India showed plenty of promise with both bat and ball, though there were also areas that will require attention before the main tournament begins.
Stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana led the way at the top of the order as India made a brisk start. West Indies new-ball bowlers Chinelle Henry and Zaida James appeared to have a clear plan of denying Mandhana room outside off, but too many deliveries drifted down the leg side and were punished accordingly.
At the other end, Shafali Verma looked particularly comfortable against the spinners, helping India race to 59 before the innings suffered a brief collapse. In the space of just 17 deliveries, India lost three wickets for 26 runs and suddenly found themselves under pressure.
The recovery came through Yastika Bhatia and Bharti Fulmali. The pair initially took their time to settle but gradually found their rhythm, rotating strike effectively and finding the gaps regularly. Their 61-run partnership restored momentum and laid the foundation for a competitive total.
India’s running between the wickets showed greater intent than in recent outings, but there were still signs of uncertainty. Several twos were misjudged and there was a noticeable amount of calling and sending batters back midway through runs.
Yastika was retired out with five overs remaining, a tactic India have continued to experiment with during these warm-up fixtures. However, the move did not deliver the desired impact. Apart from Fulmali, no batter was able to accelerate consistently in the closing stages.
The bigger concern for India will be the continued struggles of Richa Ghosh. Against a West Indies attack that looked largely ordinary outside of Afy Fletcher, the wicketkeeper-batter once again failed to make a significant contribution.
Fletcher was comfortably the pick of the West Indies bowlers. The experienced leg-spinner repeatedly tossed the ball up, tempting the Indian batters into expansive strokes and was rewarded with four wickets. India, meanwhile, lost their way badly at the death, managing only 34 runs for the loss of five wickets in the final five overs.
Fulmali remained the standout performer. Her well-constructed half-century provided stability and finishing power, with 23 runs coming from her bat in the last five overs. Thanks largely to her efforts, India finished on 179/8.
West Indies approached the chase cautiously. Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle added 50 for the opening wicket, but neither batter ever looked fully in control. The scoring rate remained below the required mark throughout the partnership.
Campbelle was retired out at the end of the ninth over as West Indies attempted to inject urgency into the innings. Instead, the innings lost further momentum. By the 13-over mark, West Indies had crawled to 97 and were falling increasingly behind the asking rate.
The decisive moment came in the 14th over. Radha Yadav first removed Dottin for an uncharacteristically slow 49 from 44 deliveries before dismissing Aaliyah Alleyne and Chinelle Henry in the same over. West Indies slipped from a position of relative stability to 103/6, effectively ending the contest.
Shreyanka Patil then ensured there would be no late comeback, finishing with four wickets of her own. Interestingly, both Fletcher and Patil found success through flight, but Patil’s greater variation in pace made her significantly harder to line up.
The nature of the surfaces seen in England so far will encourage India. The wickets have appeared slower than usual, conditions that could bring the spinners into the game throughout the tournament. If that proves to be the case, the performances of Radha and Shreyanka will be particularly encouraging for the team management.
West Indies, meanwhile, can take some positives despite the defeat. Playing without captain Hayley Matthews, they remained competitive for large periods and ultimately lost by only 26 runs.
For India, the biggest positives were Bharti Fulmali’s timely contribution with the bat and the match-winning spells from Yadav and Patil. The victory provides momentum, but the concerns around the lower-order finishing and Richa’s form ensure there is still work to be done before the World Cup gets underway.
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