AHMEDABAD, India, CMC – West Indies women were let down by their batting to plunge to a six-wicket defeat to India in the opening Twenty20 International of their three-match series here yesterday.
Choosing to bat first at the Sardar Patel Stadium, the Windies could only muster 89 for eight off their 20 overs, with Shanel Daley hitting the top score of 35. In reply, the hosts survived a shaky start to reach 90 for four with 16 balls remaining, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Mithali Raj led her side with 27 while Priyanka Roy (22) and Harmanpreet Kaur (20 not out) gave supporting knocks.
West Indies suffered a huge setback in only the first over of their innings when prolific teenaged opener Stafanie Taylor was dismissed without scoring, with no runs on the board.
Daley, who hit three fours off 57 balls, added 23 with Juliana Nero (7) but when the latter was stumped in the sixth over, wickets continued to tumble and the West Indies never found their composure.
Medium pacer Jhulan Goswami finished with two for eight from her four overs.
Opener Poonam Raut (4) fell in the second over of India’s run chase but Raj, who hit six fours off 24 balls, joined Rumelo Dhar (15) in a 28-run stand for the second wicket.
When both fell 14 runs apart, Kaur and Roy put on another 38 for the fourth wicket to see India home.
