Player of the Match
Player of the Match

8:50pm That will be all from us for tonight. India go 1-0 up and on Sunday, they will have the chance to seal the series at the first time of asking. There is lots of cricket in store tomorrow as well, across the globe and all of it can be followed on ESPNcricinfo. We hope you enjoyed our coverage today and hope to see you again super soon. Until then, this is goodbye from Chandan, Sudarshanan, Thilak and myself. Take care!

Deepti Sharma, Player of the Match: It is important how you start because it sets the tone. I had belief in myself, whether it was bowling in the powerplay or when I was batting. We talked about not thinking about the total, and were just focusing on bowling in partnerships. (On the Devine run-out) It was not a lot. I thought she was outside her crease, so I felt throwing it (to Yastika) was a good option.

Smriti Mandhana, India captain: It has been a tough 1.5-2 months, so nice to start off with a win. If you don't believe in cricket, you wont be able to do it. We had a talk that we were under-par but if we field well, we could add 20-30 runs. Saima set the tone for us with Suzie's wicket. (On Saima Thakor) Brilliant. She has been around with us (for the past couple of months). She has been brilliant throughout and we have seen her work really hard. Really happy for her and hope this is just the start for her. Whoever batted today, we asked them what is the right length. Deepti is a superstar - she knows what to do. Radha also came in (and bowled well), Hemalatha also chipped in.

Sophie Devine, New Zealand captain: We did a fantastic job of restricting them. It was a good cricket wicket, we thought 260-270 was par. We were confident at the innings break but when you lose wickets consistently, it is difficult (to chase). All the bowlers did a good job of pegging them back. The way they (India) started, it was looking like we would chase 350-400. She (Amelia Kerr) has a bit of a tight quad, she will rest up and get a couple of scans done. Hopefully she will be alright. Any time we put on the Silver Fern, we expect better of us and we will hit the ground running on Sunday.

Saima Thakor: I have been very patient, the team is amazing. That is the secret. It was a flat wicket honestly. It was a batter's paradise. But we did really well as a bowling group and luckily, it (the result) came into our favour. It was like a dream, I was visualizing that delivery last night. (On receiving her India cap) Jemi spoke a lot and she has seen me through my journey. I could not ask for someone better to present me my cap. Too many emotions and we have that connection and bond, glad I got the cap from her.

8:22pm Well, that was a hasty conclusion. Amelia, battling injury, came to bat very late and by then, New Zealand only had a handful of wickets left. As it turned out, it only took India five balls to wipe out the last two wickets, with a major helping hand from the visitors. But the victory was set in motion much before.

Saima, on debut, removed Bates early, with Plimmer also falling inside the powerplay. Devine was then run-out in rather bizarre circumstances and that propelled India into the ascendancy, which was threatened when Green and Halliday were together, although the hosts, when they got the chance, dismissed them in quick succession to leave Amelia and the lower order with too much to do.

As for the wickets, Radha picked up three, with Saima bagging two. Reddy and Deepti also got themselves on the board in an innings that also included three run-outs, the last being a proper deer in the headlights moment for the White Ferns.

40.4
W
Yadav to Carson, OUT, oh my days - what an end to the game! Rather chaotic from a New Zealand perspective, perhaps comical for the neutral, but confidence-boosting for India after their T20 World Cup campaign! A proper moon ball, which ends up as a high full toss outside off. Carson jabs it into the off side and then has an enormous miscommunication with her partner. Amelia wanted to get on strike, Carson probably late to respond. The throw goes to the bowler's end, where, to add to the drama, Radha fumbles. But fortunately for her, the ball bounces off her palms and into the stumps. Carson nowhere in the picture, and that will be that. India have snuck from behind New Zealand in this second innings, and they have left them trailing in their wake!

EJ Carson run out 0 (4m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Carson is the last batter in. New Zealand still need 60 off 57. Amelia or nothing now for them, you'd assume. Slip in place

40.3
W
Yadav to Penfold, OUT, does her all ends up! Extraordinarily slow and tossed up generously on leg stump. Penfold looks to work to leg but the ball drops on her devilishly. She cannot get to the pitch and then sees the ball rip past her bat. Kisses the off stump and New Zealand are now down to their last partnership!

MM Penfold b Yadav 1 (4m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00

40.2
0
Yadav to Penfold, no run, Back of a length outside off. Penfold chops it towards the keeper
40.1
0
Yadav to Penfold, no run, fizzed through on a back of a length on middle and off. Stops in the surface and Penfold nearly pops it straight to short extra cover

Hello everyone. Radha to bowl. NZ still in it, as long as Amelia Kerr is out there

END OF OVER:
40 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ-W: 168/8 (60 runs required from 60 balls, RR: 4.20, RRR: 6.00)

  • Molly Penfold1 (1b)
  • Amelia Kerr25 (23b)
  • Arundhati Reddy6-0-21-1
  • Deepti Sharma9-0-35-1

Ten overs left. Kerr stands between India and a win. Shashwat back for the final rites

39.6
1
Reddy to Penfold, 1 run, Slower one on off, driven down to long-on

Molly Penfold is the penultimate New Zealand batter

39.5
W
Reddy to Gaze, OUT, One, two, taken! Thakor manages to hang on. A breakthrough for India after nine overs. Another slower one from Reddy outside off, Gaze looks to go big down the ground. Gets more height and towards long-on. Thakor runs in and juggles a couple of times but manages pouch it

IC Gaze c Thakor b Reddy 9 (52m 36b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00

39.4
0
Reddy to Gaze, no run, Wide ball on a length, Gaze chases it and chops it to point
39.3
1
Reddy to AC Kerr, 1 run, Slower one wide outside off, slapped to deep cover
39.2
4
Reddy to AC Kerr, FOUR, Slower one and almost takes Reddy with it! Kerr manages to get under that and powers it straight back. Reddy couldn't do much and thankfully was out of the firing line
39.1
0
Reddy to AC Kerr, no run, Full and outside off, drills it to mid-off

Reddy now

END OF OVER:
39 | 9 Runs | NZ-W: 162/7 (66 runs required from 11 overs, RR: 4.15, RRR: 6.00)

  • Amelia Kerr20 (20b)
  • Isabella Gaze9 (34b)
  • Deepti Sharma9-0-35-1
  • Renuka Singh7-0-30-0
38.6
1
Sharma to AC Kerr, 1 run, Floated full outside off, slogs it wide of long-on. Rodrigues gets around quickly and keeps it to one. Nine off the over
38.5
1
Sharma to Gaze, 1 run, Tossed up, she charges down to take it on the full and hits it to long-on
38.4
1
Sharma to AC Kerr, 1 run, Shortish on off and middle, goes back and pulls it to wide long-on
38.3
1
Sharma to Gaze, 1 run, Fuller outside off, swept to deep square leg
38.2
1
Sharma to AC Kerr, 1 run, On the stumps, punched back, Deepti gets in a tangle with Gaze at the other end
38.1
4
Sharma to AC Kerr, FOUR, Powerfully pulled from Amelia! Shortish and spinning in from outside off, she delays her shot because Deepti did not afford her much pace. Yet managed to find the gap between deep square leg and deep midwicket

The required rate has shot but above six now...

END OF OVER:
38 | 3 Runs | NZ-W: 153/7 (75 runs required from 12 overs, RR: 4.02, RRR: 6.25)

  • Isabella Gaze7 (32b)
  • Amelia Kerr13 (16b)
  • Renuka Singh7-0-30-0
  • Deepti Sharma8-0-26-1
37.6
0
Renuka Singh to Gaze, no run, Length ball outside off, steered to short third
37.5
1
Renuka Singh to AC Kerr, 1 run, Slower length ball outside off, flat-batted past the bowler
37.4
0
Renuka Singh to AC Kerr, no run, Fuller outside off, she hangs back and has a swish but misses
37.3
1
Renuka Singh to Gaze, 1 run, Length ball on off, Gaze gets around and scoops it fine down leg

The landing area in focus now. Renuka does not seem to be happy with it

37.2
0
Renuka Singh to Gaze, no run, Length ball on of, clipped to midwicket
37.1
1
Renuka Singh to AC Kerr, 1 run, Length ball on off, wrists it towards mid-on

END OF OVER:
37 | 3 Runs | NZ-W: 150/7 (78 runs required from 13 overs, RR: 4.05, RRR: 6.00)

  • Amelia Kerr11 (13b)
  • Isabella Gaze6 (29b)
  • Deepti Sharma8-0-26-1
  • Renuka Singh6-0-27-0
36.6
1
Sharma to AC Kerr, 1 run, Quicker and fuller outside off, she thinks of playing the sweep but then steers it past backward point, 150 up
36.5
1
Sharma to Gaze, 1 run, Around the wicket, lands it on a length on middle, allowing Gaze to go back and clip it through backward square leg
36.4
0
Sharma to Gaze, no run, Sees the flight and comes down the ground but then pushes it defensively to cover

NZ Women 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st7SW BatesGE Plimmer
2nd33LR DownGE Plimmer
3rd6SFM DevineLR Down
4th33LR DownBM Halliday
5th49ML GreenBM Halliday
6th0ML GreenIC Gaze
7th3JM KerrIC Gaze
8th36AC KerrIC Gaze
9th1AC KerrMM Penfold
10th0AC KerrEJ Carson