Captain Mithali Raj’s well-crafted half-century went in vain as India Women’s batting flopped once again, with the visitors losing their first ODI versus the New Zealand Women by 62 runs here on Saturday.
Put in to bat, New Zealand rode on Suzie Bates’ century (106) to score a challenging total of 275 in 48.1 overs and then bowled India out for 213 with two balls remaining.
Mithali, playing her 221st ODI, continued her dream form in the format. This was her seventh fifty in the last 11 innings in ODIs, as she did her best to keep India in the hunt with a 73-ball 59.
Mithali also joined Charlotte Edwards in scoring 1,000 runs against four different teams (Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand) in ODI cricket. She also became the first Indian woman to reach 1,000 ODI runs against New Zealand.
Brief scores: New Zealand Women 275 in 48.1 overs (S. Bates 106) India Women 213 in 49.4 overs (M Raj 59; J. Kerr 4/35). New Zealand Women won by 62 runs.
