VADODARA: India Women’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Sunday heaped praise on seamer Renuka Singh Thakur for her five-wicket haul against West Indies in the first ODI of the series, calling it a special achievement.
Smriti Mandhana’s explosive innings and Renuka Singh Thakur’s fifer powered India Women to a commanding 211-run victory over West Indies Women in the first ODI at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday.
The emphatic win gave the Women in Blue an early lead in the ODI series.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet lauded Smriti Mandhana for her outstanding batting performance and praised the team’s fielding efforts.
“The way Smriti is batting is outstanding to watch. It looks really easy, but trust me, it is not. Renuka has been bowling well for years, but today was special for her (taking five wickets). Fielding is something we’ve been focusing on, and it’s great to see the improvement in this series and tonight – really happy with the approach. Playing in India is something we always enjoy. The facilities are amazing, with beautiful grounds and pitches. Really happy with the BCCI and their arrangements,” Harmanpreet said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Recapping the match, West Indies won the toss and elected to field first.
Smriti Mandhana (91 runs off 102 balls, 13 fours) and Pratika Rawal (40 runs off 69 balls, 4 fours) opened for India, stitching a 110-run partnership that laid a solid foundation for the innings.
India’s middle order capitalised on the momentum, with notable contributions from Richa Ghosh (26 runs off 13 balls, 4 fours and 1 six), Jemimah Rodrigues (31 runs off 19 balls, 3 fours and 1 six), and Deepti Sharma (14* runs off 12 balls, 1 four). Their collective efforts propelled India to a formidable total of 314/9 in their 50 overs.
During the run chase, West Indies struggled against a disciplined Indian bowling attack.
Renuka Singh Thakur’s fiery spell dismantled the Caribbean batting order, claiming five wickets. Priya Mishra chipped in with two wickets, while Titas Sadhu and Deepti Sharma took one wicket each. The West Indies were bundled out for 103 runs with 23 overs to spare, handing India a massive 211-run victory.
Renuka Singh Thakur was adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ for her stellar performance. (ANI)