49 overs India 340 for 3 (Rawal 122, Mandhana 109, Rodrigues 76*) vs New Zealand
Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal hit sparkling centuries to underline India's dominance in their bid to overturn three successive losses, and make a beeline for the semi-finals.
India comfortably surpassed their previous World Cup highest of 330 against Australia in Visakhapatnam two weeks ago; they finished with 340 for 3 after a 90-minute rain break shaved one over off India's quota. They returned to play out a final over that went for 11 for the loss of Harmanpreet Kaur's wicket. It then started to rain in the revised 10-minute innings break too, and New Zealand were set a new target of 325 in 44 overs.
Having elected to bowl, New Zealand wilted in trying conditions in Navi Mumbai as India overcame a middling start to sensationally accelerate in the second half of their innings that brought them 193 runs. This left New Zealand needing to scale their highest chase to stay alive in the competition.
For India, unlike that day against Australia where the middle order failed to build on a 155-run opening stand between Mandhana and Rawal to finish well short of where they should have, they accelerated at the DY Patil Stadium, a ground they are familiar with both internationally and with the WPL. Mandhana and Rawal set the foundation, putting on 212 in 33.2 overs before India made a tactical switch by sending out the returning Jemimah Rodrigues ahead of Harleen Deol, the designated No. 3.
Rodrigues responded by scoring an unbeaten 76 off 55 balls -- the fastest half-century by an Indian this World Cup -- to help India ransack 86 runs in the last nine overs.
Rodrigues was at her cheeky best. She swept, reverse-swept, opened up the off side to play pristine inside-out strokes and scythed full deliveries behind square when bowlers went full in. She exhibited her full range to an innings loaded with intent and urgency, hitting 11 fours. Her knock and batting position may yet give the team management some food for thought ahead of the semi-finals should they make it.
But the crux of the innings lay in what Mandhana and Rawal did. They overturned a watchful start -- the first two overs were maidens -- to bring up their seventh century stand, the joint-most by an Indian opening pair in women's ODIs.
Mandhana wasn't up and running until the seventh over when she brought out the sweep at the first sight of spin, against Eden Carson. Seemingly keen on dominating the slow bowlers, she was quick to step out and deposit Carsen over long-off in her second over. Rawal was superb square of the wicket with the cut and pull, taking on Lea Tahuhu as she began expensively after coming in after 10 overs. Rawal took her down for two statement fours -- a short-arm jab over midwicket followed by a lofted straight hit that she enjoyed so much that she held the pose for the cameras.
They raised the century stand in 17.4 overs, as Mandhana and Rawal brought up their half-centuries off 49 balls and 75 balls respectively. But from 147 for 0 at the 25-over mark, both batters stepped on the gas almost immediately as Tahuhu was muscled over midwicket and the pair raised their 150-run opening stand, India's first in World Cups.
Mandhana had a huge slice of luck on 77 when she reluctantly reviewed an lbw, only because Rawal coaxed her into it. And when the giant screen replayed her missed slog as she walked across, Mandhana began to walk off, only to see UltraEdge showing the tiniest of spikes that saved her. She soon brought up her 14th ODI century, which is just one short of Meg Lanning's all-time record, off 88 deliveries.
By then, Mandhana was tiring and cramping, and she was ready to throw her bat at everything. She nailed one such hit, a perfectly-timed slog for six off Amelia Kerr, and fell attempting a similar stroke when she was caught by substitute fielder Hannah Rowe at the long-on boundary off Suzie Bates.
Rawal brought up her second ODI century, off 122 balls, and was helped along in her quest to accelerate as Rodrigues picked her spots and executed all her strokes with precision. Rawal followed suit by hitting her first six soon after raising her century, and was then put down on 108 by Maddy Green coming in from the long-off fence. Rawal eventually perished for 122 when she miscued Bates to Rowe once again at long-off.
Rodrigues then hit 28 of the 41 she put on with Harmanpreet, before a rain that didn't seem threatening enough for the players to go off initially picked up intensity to force the umpires into getting the covers on.
