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Follow UsThe trend of Indian domination in the three-match ODI series between the Indian and Windies women also continued in the third ODI. This was a dead rubber to begin with, as Harmanpreet Kaur’s side had already sealed the series in their favour after easily winning the first two games.
While the batters led the largely one-sided show in the first two games for India, the bowlers took matters into their hands in the third ODI as Deepti Sharma destroyed the Windies lineup by picking up 6/31 — her second-best bowling figures in the format.
This was the third instance in Deepti’s career when she picked up five or more wickets in an ODI. Overall, 6/31 is her second-best bowling effort in the format, just slightly behind the 6/20 she took in Ranchi against the Sri Lankans in 2016.
The wrecker-in-chief at the start was Renuka Singh Thakur, who dismissed the hard-hitting trio of Qiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews, and Deandra Dottin within the first five overs itself. The new ball was swinging in the hazy morning conditions, and Renuka used her seam and wicket-hitting ability to great effect as she cleaned up the stumps of both Matthews and Dottin.
Post that, Shemaine Campbelle and Chinelle Henry had a really good partnership where they were milking Deepti’s off-spin, Priya Mishra’s leg spin and Titas Sadhu’s right arm pace with ease. The duo added 91 runs in 16.4 overs, and it looked like the Windies innings was stabilising briefly.
That’s where Deepti, who had a slightly wayward start to her spell, pulled up her shock after being under pressure and bowled in the fashion she’s known to bowl - doing subtle changes of pace and angles, getting the ball to drop and grip in the surface.
She made Campbelle try to hit over the long on fielder by offering loop; however, the batter could only reach Pratika Rawal at the boundary. Against Henry, who was adamant about going on the backfoot trying to play the Indian spinners, she kept it tight and on the stumps as Henry was clean bowled trying to open the off side.
The West Indies were in serious trouble after Henry’s wicket in the 32nd over at 141/6. Zaida James had already lost her wicket trying to drive a slow and wide delivery. The Windies misery, however, was only starting as Deepti trapped Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher and Ashmini Munisar with her slow, loopy full deliveries.
Renuka returned to clean up Mandy Mangru and end the West Indies innings on 162.
Deepti’s 6/31 was also the best-ever bowling figures by a bowler in WODIs against West Indies. She also became only the second woman after Sune Luus to take two six-wicket hauls in WODIs. Now, she also has the most five-wicket hauls (or more) by any Indian woman (three).
This was undoubtedly a game to remember for Deepti, not only because of the wickets but also because her effectiveness with the ball was under scrutiny after a sequence of lackluster performances. Her performance here would allow her to play with ease going forward, unperturbed about her place in the side.
