India Women thrash West Indies in decider to win first home T20I series in five years

Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh starred as India beat West Indies by 60 runs in the third Women’s T20I in Navi Mumbai on December 19 to claim the series 2-1. India also ended their five-year-long wait to win a T20I series at home. Before Thursday, it was back in September 2019 when India won a home T20I series for the last time after beating the Sune Luus-led South Africa 3-1.

Mandhana made a hat-trick of T20I fifties, after which Richa Ghosh smacked the joint-fastest fifty in Women’s T20Is off 18 balls to help India rack up their highest team total of 217 for four. Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine also notched T20I fifties off 18 balls. After a strong batting performance, the bowlers stepped up to take India home.

After being put in to bat first, India lost the early wicket of Uma Chetry, but Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues laid the platform with a 98-run partnership. Afy Fletcher broke the stand after dismissing Jemimah, who scored 39 off 28. Mandhana went on to score her 30th fifty off 27 balls, after which she finished at 77 off 47 balls with 13 fours and a



six.

Raghvi Bist faltered on debut in the second T20I, but gave a decent account of her skills under pressure. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 31 off 22 balls. But it was Richa who went bonkers in the death overs, racing to 54 off 21 balls with three fours and five sixes. Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Aaliyah Alleyne, who replaced Ashmini Munisar, and Fletcher took one wicket apiece.

For the West Indies, it was always going to be a tall order, chasing the massive target of 218. Qiana Joseph, who played a couple of blinders in the first two games, struggled for 11 runs off 13 balls before Sajeevan Sajana dismissed her. Hayley Matthews and Dottin made 22 and 25 respectively, failing to make their starts count. Shemaine Campbell threatened in her 17-run knock before Deepti Sharma removed her.

Chinelle Henry came out firing on all cylinders, taking the attack to the opposition bowlers. Renuka Singh dismissed the batter after she made 43 off 16 with three fours and four sixes. After Henry departed, it was only a matter of time before India won as West Indies finished at 157 for nine.