Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite hit half-centuries to pull off slim chase and give the home side a consolation win
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2019
Anna Peterson picked up four wickets•Getty Images
Anna Peterson and Lea Tahuhu did most of the damage, after Amy Satterthwaite asked India to bat, picking up seven wickets between them to shoot the visitors out for 149. Suzie Bates and Satterthwaite then helmed the chase, both hitting half-centuries as New Zealand got home in 29.2 overs with eight wickets in hand.India secured the series after winning the first two matches, but the points from this victory were useful for New Zealand, who have now moved back to the No. 2 spot ahead of India, only behind Australia, on the Women’s Championship table.Mithali Raj on her 200th ODI appearance
On Friday, Mithali Raj became the first woman to play 200 ODIs. Among active cricketers, team-mate Jhulan Goswami has the most caps after Raj – 174, with England’s Jenny Gunn at No. 3 with 143.
After the game, Raj said about the landmark, “When I started, I definitely didn’t think I would come so far. My main aim initially was to represent the country, wear the India colours, and then be one of the core members of the team. But never did I think I would continue to play for so long.
“When you have a long career, there are different elements that come into your reasoning. But one thing has always been to constantly thrive and constantly work on my game to suit the different conditions and different areas of my game, and trying to keep up with the international standards is very important.
“I’ve seen highs and lows. When you have a long career, that’s part of it.”
It was a welcome change for New Zealand, whose bowlers had struck a grand total of three times in the first two games. Bar Deepti Sharma, none of the Indian batsmen stuck around for long enough to make a difference as Peterson returned 4 for 28 and Tahuhu 3 for 26. From then on, India were playing catch-up.Sophie Devine dropped down the batting order and Bates had a new partner in Lauren Down, and the two looked good for more than the 22 they got together. Down was run out backing up at the non-striker’s end in the seventh over when Bates’s drive caught Goswami’s fingers on its way to the stumps.But Bates and Satterthwaite made sure the advantage wasn’t lost with an 84-run stand for the second wicket, the runs coming in under 14 overs, till Bates fell after scoring her 25th ODI half-century. It was just a matter of knocking the runs off after that, and Satterthwaite did so in style, hitting her 20th ODI half-century, an unbeaten 74-ball 66. Devine was unbeaten on 17 at the close.India’s innings never quite gathered momentum, looking like it was headed for good things only when Deepti and Harmanpreet Kaur collaborated for the fourth wicket.Smriti Mandhana fell first to Peterson and Jemimah Rodrigues, the other opener, followed soon after being done in by Tahuhu. Mithali Raj, who was playing her 200th ODI, didn’t last too long either, and India were tottering at 39 for 3 at that stage, in the 14th over.Deepti and Kaur steadied the innings briefly with their 48-run stand, the latter showing intent with a couple of hits to the boundary, but after she fell, becoming Peterson’s second victim, there wasn’t much support for Deepti. D Hemalatha and Goswami did get into double figures, but Deepti’s 52 stood out in an otherwise sorry-looking batting card.The two teams now play a series of three T20Is, the first of them in Wellington on February 6.