New Delhi: Smriti Mandhana is leading India women for the first time ever in ODI cricket in the ongoing first ODI match against New Zealand. Mandhana is fulfilling the duty as the step-in skipper after regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur was rested for the game due to a niggle. Mandhana has earlier led India in 14 T20Is but this is her first game as captain in the 50-over format.
“Harmanpreet Kaur has a niggle and has been rested for the 1st ODI. Smriti Mandhana will be leading the side in her absence,” the BCCI said in a release.
After winning the toss, in her debut ODI game, Mandhana chose to bat first against New Zealand, the newly-crowned T20 World Cup champions. The hosts brought in two new faces for the series opener in form of Tejal Hasabnis and Saima Thakor. For Mandhana, the result of the game will decide whether she had the best of the start as an ODI captain for the first time but as a batter, she did not have the best outing in Ahmedabad.
Mandhana first batter to depart
India sustained their first blow in the third over after skipper Mandhana was dismissed for just 5 runs after opting to bat first. Shafali Verma played a useful knock of 33 runs off just 22 balls with five boundaries and a massive six. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia also showed her class with a 43-ball 37-run knock to stabilise the Indian innings after losing the skipper’s wicket early on.
Playing XIs
India: Smriti Mandhana(c), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia(w), Dayalan Hemalatha, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Saima Thakor, Renuka Thakur Singh
New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine(c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze(w), Lauren Down, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Eden Carson
