Billie Jean King Cup :India lose to New Zealand to remain in Group I
With the loss, India finished third in Asia/Oceania Group I with three wins and two defeats.
Before India and New Zealand took to the field at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday another international cricket match took place at the venue on the same day.
The New Zealand Women faced their South African counterparts in a match which had begun at 4 PM local time. It was won by the home team by nine wickets with more than seven overs to spare.
A below-par batting performance from the Proteas saw them posting a paltry total of 116/7 in their quota of 20 overs. Chasing, New Zealand had a walk in the park as the opening pair of Sophie Devine and Rachel Priest gave them a fiery start.
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The duo added 75 runs for the first wicket before wicketkeeper Priest lost her wicket batting at 37. Skipper Devine, though, continued with her onslaught and played an unbeaten knock of 54 off 32 deliveries. Coming in at three, Suzie Bates played the secondary role with perfection and scored 18 runs in her 15-ball knock.
For the visitors, opener Laura Wolvaardt was the highest scorer for her 33 off 35 deliveries. Her two immediate successors Nadine de Klerk and Mignon du Preez also saw the face of the 20s but their slow efforts did little help to their team’s cause.
Kiwi bowlers Leigh Kasperek and Amelia Kerr were the stars of the pack with the ball and returned with identical figures of 17/2.
About the men’s match, Rohit Sharma, who is filling the captaincy shoes in the surprising absence of Virat Kohli, opted to bat first in the last T20I of the five-match series.
For the Blackcaps, Kane Williamson doesn’t seem to have recovered yet as Tim Southee was the one who tossed the coin.
Other than Rohit for Kohli, the Men in Blue have not brought any other changes. New Zealand have also decided to go with the same eleven which took to the field two days back in Wellington.
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