Smriti Mandhana, Renuka Thakur blow away West Indies in first ODI

Indian women`s cricket team celebrating a wicket during the match (Pic: X/@BCCIWomen)

Stylish opener Smriti Mandhana extended her purple patch with a classy knock before pacer Renuka Thakur excelled with the new ball as India outplayed a self-destructing West Indies by a record 211 runs in the first Women's ODI here Sunday.
India posted 314 for nine after Mandhana made a fine 91 off 102 balls.

The launch pad was provided by the left-handed opener for the middle-order to go big and that is what the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur (34 off 23), Harleen Deol (44 off 50), Richa Ghosh (26 off 12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (31 off 19) did to take India past 300.

The West Indies were ordinary to say the least in their response as some of their batters gifted wickets to the dominating hosts.

They were eventually all out for 103 in 26.2 overs with Renuka picking her maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. It was India's biggest win over the West Indies in terms of runs.

The second ODI of the three-match series will be played here on Tuesday.

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Qiana Joseph was run out on the first ball of the run chase as she inexplicably struggled to complete a regulation single from the non-striker's end, leaving skipper Hayley Mathews in disbelief.

Mathews too departed 12 balls later, nicking a wide delivery from Renuka who got the in-swing going in her first spell. When young pacer Titas Sadhu castled Rashad Williams, the West Indies slipped to 11 for four and the game was as good as over.

Renuka's fourth wicket reduced the visitors to 34 for six as Shabika Gajnabi could not connect a full in-swinging ball. Earlier, Mandhana, who recorded a 50-plus score for the fifth time in as many innings, got the bulk of the runs in her 110-run stand alongside debutant Pratika Rawal (40 off 69).

After dropping hard-hitting Shafali Verma, India have tried multiple batters to open alongside Mandhana and on Sunday it was the turn of Delhi cricketer Pratika, who batted at a strike rate of 57.97.

The 24-year-old was also dropped at mid-off when she was batting on three in the 10th over. Her four boundaries came on the leg-side as she employed the sweep multiple times.

Mandhana, at the other end, entertained the crowd with her trademark shots including a cover drive and pull. India changed gears after the arrival of fit-again skipper Harmanpreet who struck at close to 150 to give the innings a timely move on.

The momentum was carried by Richa and Rodrigues who has been in top form of late. For the West Indies, the pick of the bowlers was left-arm spinner Zaida James who took five wickets for 45 runs in eight overs.

India could have got a lot more in the death overs but the last three overs only yielded 20 runs with James picking three wickets in the final over.

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