New Zealand, led by an all-round show from their captain Sophie Devine, sealed a comfortable 76-run win to take the series into the decider. Not only that, New Zealand also grabbed crucial points in the Women’s Championship to remain afloat for direct qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup.
Sophie Devine hit 79 and saw off a quiet period with the bat for her side, eventually pushing New Zealand’s first-innings total to 259. With the ball, Sophie Devine bagged her opposite number Harmanpreet Kaur, and also Jemimah Rodrigues. India’s chase was never on track either side of that brief stand, falling well short despite some resilience late in the contest.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : This is a different pitch today. The last game was played on a 100% red-soil wicket. Today is a mixture of red and black soil. This is pitch number 6 being used for this game. The longest hit straight down the ground is 69m and there will be a bit of inconsistent bounce and pace on this wicket. Will be a challenge for the batters.
New Zealand Women skipper Sophie Devine won the toss and chose to bat with one forced change as Lauren Down replaces injured Amelia Kerr. Indian team bowling first bought back fit skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the playing XI.
Sophie Devine’s 79 runs and Suzie Bates half century propels NZ -W to 259 in 50 overs
Like in their win against India in this month’s T20 World Cup that set the White Ferns on their path to glory, the foundations of this victory too was set up by openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, who added 87 runs in 15.3 overs after the visitors opted to bat on an excellent batting surface. Between them, the pair hit 13 fours and a six in the first 15 overs, relying more on timing than on power.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who returned from an injury, introduced spin as early as the sixth over but India were let down by another shoddy display of fielding with Deepti Sharma offering Plimmer a reprieve off her own bowling when the latter was still on 16. Plimmer used that lucky break to launch a six and a four off debutant leg spinner Priya Mishra.

In all, Deepti dropped three catches during the innings but ironically India earned their breakthrough courtesy a moment of fielding brilliance from Radha Yadav, who dove full stretch to her right from her position at mid-wicket to dismiss Plimmer for 41. India were able to put a lid on the scoring thereafter with the off-pace deliveries proving to be tough to score off.
India earned another break when a Bates drive ricocheted off Priya’s hands into the stumps and caught Lauren Down short of her crease. Bates too fell soon after getting to her half-century before India added a fourth wicket, that of Brooke Halliday, through another excellent piece of fielding from Radha.

At 139 for 4 in the 32nd over, New Zealand were in need of a re-injection of momentum and the pair of Sophie Devine and Maddy Green (42 off 41) provided just that. As in the game in Dubai, Sophie Devine cut and pulled powerfully while Green kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end.
The New Zealand captain overturned an LBW decision against her and got to her half-century off 65 balls. The final six overs brought New Zealand 55 runs as they raced past the 250 park with Sophie Devine batting through. Radha topped her excellent fielding display with figures for 4 for 69.
But the fact that they a challenging target to chase was down to the half-centuries from Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates. Bates put on a stand of 87 with Georgia Plimmer for the first wicket to set the tone for New Zealand, whose innings could be split into four different quarters. The first one belonged to Bates and Plimmer, who combined to thump 13 fours and a six in the first 15 overs.
But in the tenth over, Plimmer was dropped by Deepti Sharma when on 16, the first of three dropped catches from the allrounder. Plimmer and Bates relied mostly on timing and placement instead of power. Harmanpreet, back into the side after missing the first ODI due to a niggle, introduced spin in the sixth over, but it hardly affected New Zealand’s momentum.
The breakthrough finally came when Radha took the first of her two great catches in the 16th over. Placed at midwicket, she moved swiftly to her right before diving full stretch to have Plimmer caught for 41 off Deepti. That started a run of 12 overs which saw New Zealand score only 34 for the loss of three wickets.
Bates got to fifty to start the 19th over, but next ball, Deepti put her down at midwicket, attempting a catch with her right hand instead of going at it with both hands. Two overs later, though, one of Bates’ drives down the ground deflected off debutant Priya Mishra’s hands, and caught Lauren Down short at the non-striker’s end.
In the 27th, Radha had Bates caught and bowled for 58, but Devine stood firm at the other end. That started a period of play where New Zealand steadied themselves. In the next 17 overs, they scored 84, and lost only one wicket. Sophie Devine cut, flicked and pulled for boundaries, but in the 32nd over, Radha stunned New Zealand with her fielding again. Now placed at extra cover, she sprinted and dived full stretch to have Brooke Halliday caught for 8.
But Sophie Devine and Green ensured India didn’t run away with the game, even though Deepti dropped Green on 6 in the 34th over. The two batters kept ticking along, with Devine overturning an lbw decision against her when on 36. She got to her fifty off 65 balls in the 41st over, and set it up for a solid finish. The last six overs saw New Zealand pummel 55 runs, with Green driving, ramping and flicking Thakor for successive boundaries in the 45th over.
Radha had Green holing out to long-off for 42 next over, but boundaries from Kerr and a six from Sophie Devine took New Zealand to 259. That proved more than enough.
Sophie Devine’s 3-fer assisted by experienced Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu level series 1-1
India’s chase got off to a bad start despite Shafali Verma driving Lea Tahuhu for a four to the first ball of the innings. The veteran seamer though dismissed Smriti Mandhana in that first over by having the India vice-captain driving uppishly to backward point. India also lost Varma in the fourth over when she played around a length delivery from Jess Kerr and was pinged in front of the stumps. India were three down for 26 not too long after as Tahuhu had Yastika Bhatia nicking off.

Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues set about putting the chase back on order but their 38-run association was ended by Sophie Devine, who had Rodrigues edging an attempted cut to Isabella Gaze behind the stumps. Sophie Devine also added the wicket of the Indian captain, who after working her way to 24, hit a short-arm jab uppishly and was caught by the deep mid-wicket fielder.
By the 26th over, India were down to 102 for 7 and the writing was very much on the wall. But the hosts didn’t throw the towel in just yet and Radha backed up her excellent display in the first innings by spearheading a brief rearguard. With Saima Thakor for company, Radha added 70 for the ninth wicket. She made 45 which, if not anything, served to reduce the eventual margin of defeat.

Five overs into the chase, India were 26 for 3, with Smriti Mandhana falling without scoring. She chipped Lea Tahuhu to point in the first over, before Jess Kerr trapped Shafali Verma in front for an entertaining 11 in the fourth. Next over, Tahuhu had Yastika Bhatia edging behind to wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze, who finished the day with four catches.
Harmanpreet and Rodrigues added 38 for the fourth wicket, and that remained India’s highest stand until Radha and Thakor’s ninth-wicket stand of 70. Harmanpreet’s 24 was the most that any top-seven batter from India managed on the night, and at 77 for 5 in the 18th over, the wheels had come off.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Harmanpreet Kaur the losing skipper said : I think we gave away too many runs and dropped too many catches but I think it was still a chaseable target but we didn’t bat well. Good to see Radha and Saima do well with bat. We kept losing wickets in the chase. We will look to build partnerships next game. We weren’t up to the mark. These girls look ready and keen to do well for the country. Batting is something that we really need to work on and if we do that we can win the series.
Sophie Devine the winning skipper and player of the match for her innings said : Pretty happy with the way the game went. We spoke about playing good cricket for long periods and we did that. We spoke about making sure to build partnerships. The way Green and Gaze came out and played got us to a competitive score after the platform was set early on.
It’s always hard when you lose someone of the quality of Amelia Kerr. When you are taking regular wickets it helps that you can have faith in the other bowlers available to you. It is about backing up performances like tonight. Exciting challenge awaits us on Tuesday.
India won the first game by 59 runs, New Zealand win the second game by 76 runs. Was always a tough target to chase in these conditions and India simply weren’t good enough against the new ball with the bat. Tahuhu and Jess Kerr gave early punches. Harmanpreet and Jemi looked like stitching a partnership but Sophie Devine, having done the damage with bat, also ensured India slipped further with her bowling. Removed both batters.
The reliable Carson joined the party too and just when it looked like a meek surrender, Radha and Saima combined well for a 70-run frustrating stand to delay the inevitable. Kerr and Devine returned to clean up the tail. So it’s 1-1 with the series decider on Tuesday. New Zealand are upbeat to the end the series on a high. They put on a great show and didn’t really feel the absence of Amelia Kerr. India keen to get better and win the final game as well.
It was a day when Radha Yadav could do everything: fly like a superwoman to grab two stunning catches, take 4 for 69 with the ball, be India’s top-scorer with 48 from No. 9, and help add 70 with Saima Thakor for the ninth wicket. That was not only India’s highest stand in pursuit of 260 against New Zealand on Sunday, but also their highest ODI partnership for the ninth wicket.
But unfortunately for India, all those performances could not help them avoid defeat. New Zealand, led by an all-round show from their captain Sophie Devine, sealed a comfortable 76-run win to take the series into the decider. Not only that, New Zealand also grabbed crucial points in the Women’s Championship to remain afloat for direct qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup.