Smriti Mandhana Shines as India Women Dominate Zimbabwe in T20I Series
India Women went on to defeat Zimbabwe Women by 24 runs in the third T20I to seal the series. The team went on to post an impressive total of 164/7, being led by Smriti Mandhana, who scored 48. With the ball, the team restricted Zimbabwe Women to just 140.
Pitch and Weather
The match will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, which will offer a balanced T20 surface. It has reliable bounce and good pace for the stroke makers to play their shots. The pitch will favour the batsmen early in the game, as spinners and cutters will prove effective in the middle overs as the game progresses. Warm conditions with some humidity may challenge the players physically, while dew could make defending a total slightly more difficult if it develops during the second innings.
Toss
Zimbabwe Women win the toss and decide to bowl first. The team aims to restrict India Women to a low total, and chase it down later when the dew arrives.
Lineups
India Women XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (C), Anushka Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, Arundhati Reddy, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud
Zimbabwe Women XI: Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Sharne Mayers, Michelle Mavunga, Nyasha Gwanzura, Francisa Chipare, Modester Mupachikwa, Josephine Nkomo (C), Tendai Makusha, Olinder Chare
Match Report
India Women put down a composed performance in the third T20I, as they posted 164/7 and restricted Zimbabwe Women to 140/8, to win the game by 24 runs. This victory also meant a clean sweep for the hosts in this series.
After Zimbabwe Women decided to bowl, Shafali Verma started well by finding boundaries from the square of the wicket. But Zimbabwe struck back when Shafali mistimed a shot and was caught. Smriti Mandhana gave stability from the other end, as India Women managed to score 46/1 in the powerplay itself.
Mandhana was able to do well in her stand with Anushka Sharma. But after Anushka lost her wicket, Zimbabwe Women slowed down the scoring in the middle overs. Mandhana also lost her wicket after scoring 48, missing out on her half-century. Harmanpreet Kaur counterattacked well, as she went on to score runs late in the game.
Zimbabwe bowlers were able to regain control in the middle overs, but Richa Ghosh was able to give some late runs. With her aggressive stroke play supported by Deepti Sharma, the duo helped India Women to reach 164/7.
Zimbabwe Women started the chase comfortably, as Kelis Ndhlovu and Beloved Biza were doing well against the new ball. Indian bowlers were able to respond well by removing both openers, which put some pressure. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano was able to give some resistance, while Sharne Mayers was able to accelerate against the spinners.
Deepti Sharma stepped in to give crucial breakthroughs. The visitors required a strong finish, but it wasn't possible against India's wide yorkers and slower balls. Zimbabwe Women only managed to score 140/8, as the team fell short by 24 runs.
Player of the Match
Smriti Mandhana won the Player of the Match award, as she scored 48 runs for the team. Her knock laid the foundation in the powerplay, allowing the team to post a strong total.
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