Smriti Mandhana hundred helps India crush New Zealand by 9 wickets in 1st ODI

Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues stitched a 190-run opening partnership to help India win (@WHITE_FERNS Photo)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Smriti Mandhana scored 105 off to help India reach the target in the 33rd over
• India defeated New Zealand by 9 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series
• The teams will face off in the second ODI on January 29 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui

The Indian women's team put in a perfect performance on Thursday to beat New Zealand by 9 wickets in the first ODI in Napier to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Chasing a below-par 193 for victory, India rode on Smriti Mandhana's 105 off to reach the target in the 33rd over.

Mandhana was involved in a 190-run opening partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues, who remained unbeaten on 81. Mandhana fell in the 33rd over when just 3 runs were required to win the match.

Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma then made sure that India crossed the finish line without losing any more.

Mandhana's hundred was her fourth in one-day internationals. Her 104-ball innings was laced with 9 boundaries and three sixes while Rodrigues played 94 balls, scoring 9 fours in total.

Earlier, India restricted New Zealand to 192 after Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav took 3 wickets each while Deepti Sharma bagged two and Shikha Pandey managed one wicket.

Opener Suzie Bates top-scored for the home side with 36 runs while Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr contributed with 28 runs each but the rest of the batters just couldn't get going against a clinical Indian bowling attack.

The Indian women's team's victory came just 24 hours after the men's team hammered the Blackcaps by 8 wickets at the same venue on Tuesday.

Virat Kohli's team bowled out New Zealand for 157 in Napier and then chased down the target in 34.5 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav (4 for 39) and man-of-the-match Mohammed Shami (3 for 19) starred with the ball for India while Shikhar Dhawan (75 not out) and Virat Kohli (45) top-scored with the bat as the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and registered its first ODI win against New Zealand in New Zealand since 2009.

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