Delhi, India: India won their Group 2 match against West Indies by six wickets on Wednesday in Cape Town, their second win in a row at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The Indian team performed well on all fronts. In the opening match of the campaign, India defeated Pakistan, an archrival.
Richa Ghosh, a wicketkeeper, took India home with 11 balls remaining with a match-winning 44 not out off 32 balls and a valuable 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (33 off 42).
As it transpired: India defeated West Indies by 119 runs in 18.1 overs with six wickets remaining after Richa scored the winning run, a four off Shamilia Connell, in the match's penultimate over.
Earlier, India's bowlers under Deepti Sharma (3/15) kept the West Indies to 118 for 6 in 20 overs.
Deepti, the "Player of the Match," became the first Indian to take 100 T20I wickets in the process.
When asked to bowl, Deepti created a web around the West Indies batsmen. The seasoned off-spinner took three wickets for India against the West Indies.
With openers Shafali Verma (28 runs) and Smriti Mandhana (10) bringing the team total to 31 in four overs on the back of six fours, India got off to an explosive start that required less than a run.
#TeamIndia wins the #T20WorldCup for the second time in a row! For her modest three-wicket haul,... https://t.co/2f2WnkT6Mm — BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) 1676478793000 India lost the momentum, however, as West Indies prevailed with slow bowling.
Mandhana completely missed off-spinner Karishma Ramharack's (2/14) ball, giving wicketkeeper Rasha Williams an easy stumping. Jemimah Rodrigues, who won the match's final game, took Jemimah Rodrigues (1) and made Hayley Matthews (1/12) her first and only loss of the day thanks to the skipper's superb catch of her own bowling.
Shafali attempted to raise the ante after two low-scoring overs, but he was caught at long leg, and the West Indies took three wickets quickly.
Before hitting back-to-back fours off Afy Fletcher (0/24) in the ninth over, Harmanpreet took her time getting comfortable.
Richa finished the game, which is what she does best. In her 32-ball, unbeaten innings, the youngster hit five fours, including one to win the match. In 18.1 overs, she reduced India to 119 for 4 runs.
By striking on her very first ball, Pooja Vastrakar (1/21) gave India the early lead by opening with the new ball and eliminating the dangerous Hayley Matthew (2).
As Richa Ghosh completed a regulation catch, the West Indies skipper was overcome by the additional bounce.
With a wicket maiden, Pooja continued to exert pressure on the West Indies.
In the third over, Shemaine Campbelle (30) drove a delivery from Renuka Singh (1/22) past square leg for West Indies' first boundary.
West Indies scored 12 runs thanks to the introduction of spin, including two fours from Rajeshwari Gayakwad's over.
At halftime, West Indies were 53 for 1. The West Indies innings was stabilized by Campbelle and Stefanie Taylor (42) as they slowly but surely put together a 73-run partnership. Nine boundaries separated the two of them.
However, a brief batting collapse was caused by two strikes from the ever-dependable Deepti. Smriti Mandhana made a lovely catch at short third as the offspinner first punished Campbelle for going for a reverse sweep.
Three balls later, she trapped Taylor's leg before the umpire initially ruled it not out, but India successfully overturned the decision.
As a result of Mandhana and Richa influencing her exit, Chinelle Henry (2) was the next to go.
India was successful in halting the run flow, but their fielding was criticized. In the 16th over, Deepti struck out Chedean Nation for three.
West Indies reached the 100-run mark thanks to Nation and Shabika Gajnabi (15).
When Deepti outwitted Aly Fletcher in the final over, she reached the 100-wicket mark.