Smriti Mandhana leads as India thrash Netherlands by 95 Runs in Women's T20 World Cup
India claimed a thumping 95-run win over the Netherlands in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Headingley on Wednesday, riding on dominant performances from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma before Shree Charani’s fourwicket haul completed the rout. Mandhana’s fluent 74 and Shafali’s all-round effort
By Chitrangada Chaudhari
India claimed a thumping 95-run win over the Netherlands in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Headingley on Wednesday, riding on dominant performances from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma before Shree Charani’s fourwicket haul completed the rout.
Mandhana’s fluent 74 and Shafali’s all-round effort — 55 with the bat and 3/20 with the ball — set the tone in the one-sided contest as India registered their second win on the trot.Asked to bat in overcast conditions, India adjusted quickly and, despite a spirited late fightback from tournament debutants Netherlands, posted a commanding 209/5, their highest total in the competition.
The foundation was laid by the opening pair of Shafali and Mandhana, who combined power with timing in a 115run stand off 71 deliveries.After managing just six runs against Pakistan, Shafali made amends emphatically.
She showed intent from the outset, punished anything loose and reached her half-century in 34 balls.
Her fluent 55 off 38 deliveries, studded with 10 fours, ended when she holed out to long-on off Heather Siegers in the 12th over.At the other end, Mandhana looked in complete control.
Comfortable against pace and spin alike, she brought up her second successive half-century of the tournament.
Her 74 off 47 balls, studded with 11 fours and a six, kept India firmly in charge.
Jemimah Rodrigues ensured the momentum did not dip, making 23 off 14 balls in a brisk 47run stand with Mandhana.
However, the Netherlands found a way back through Caroline de Lange, who sparked a mini-collapse as India slipped from 162/1 to 169/4.Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten 20, aided by a couple of reprieves, and late hits from Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma then powered India past the 200-mark.
In reply, the Netherlands began brightly through Heather Siegers and Phebe Molkenboer, but Nandani Sharma provided the breakthrough when she had Siegers caught by Mandhana for 21.India soon suffered a setback when off-spinner Shreyanka Patil twisted her ankle after bowling just one delivery and had to be taken off the field in a buggy.
The Dutch were 50/2 after 7.3 overs and 77/3 in the 12th, but India’s spinners soon tightened their grip.
Shafali struck by removing Sterre Kalis, while Nandani and Deepti chipped in with key wickets.
Charani then ran through the lower order as the Netherlands were bowled out for 114 in 17.3 overs.Babette de Leede top-scored for the Netherlands with 28, but the chase never gathered enough momentum against India’s varied spin attack.Brief scores: India 209/5 in 20 overs (Mandhana 74, Shafali 55) beat Netherlands 114 in 17.3 overs (Babette de Leede 28; Shree Charani 4/19, Shafali Verma 3/20, Nandani Sharma 2/22) by 95 runs.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.
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