The highly anticipated second women's T20I between India and West Indies kicked off with a surprise as West Indies captain Hayley Matthews won the toss and chose to bowl first. India made a change in their playing XI with Raghvi Bisht making her debut in place of regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who is nursing a niggle. The series stands at 1-0 in India's favor after their victory in the first match.
Harmanpreet Kaur Rests, Raghvi Bisht Makes T20I Debut as India Look to Extend Lead
In the second women's T20I between India and West Indies, the reigning Commonwealth Games champions India were dealt a blow when regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out due to a minor niggle. In her absence, Raghvi Bisht made her debut for the Indian team.
Team Changes
Apart from Harmanpreet, India also made one other change to their playing XI, with young fast bowler Meghna Singh coming in for spinner Sneh Rana. West Indies, meanwhile, retained the same team that played in the first match, which they lost by seven wickets.
Match Synopsis
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews surprisingly chose to field first after winning the toss. India's openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma got off to a solid start, putting on a partnership of 36 runs before Verma was dismissed by Matthews.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Mandhana then steadied India's innings, adding 44 runs for the second wicket. Mandhana played a captain's knock and ended up scoring an unbeaten 51 off 38 deliveries, including six boundaries.
Towards the end of the innings, Bisht and Deepti Sharma provided some late fireworks, contributing 23 and 18 runs, respectively. India finished with a formidable score of 163/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
West Indies' chase got off to a poor start as they lost three wickets within the powerplay. Captain Matthews was run out for just two runs, while Djenaba Joseph and Shabika Gajnabi also departed cheaply.
Chedean Nation and Britney Cooper managed a brief recovery with a partnership of 31 runs, but the innings never really took off. Cooper was the only West Indies batter to pass the 20-run mark, but her dismissal for 23 left her team with an uphill task.
India's bowlers kept the pressure on throughout the innings, with Radha Yadav, Meghna Singh, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad all picking up two wickets each. West Indies eventually folded for just 88 runs in 18.1 overs, handing India a comprehensive 75-run victory.
FAQs
1. Who is Raghvi Bisht? Raghvi Bisht is a young wicketkeeper-batter from Himachal Pradesh who made her debut for the Indian women's team in the second T20I against West Indies. She has represented India at the U-19 level and was part of the squad that won the inaugural ICC U-19 Women's T20 World Cup in 2023.
2. Why was Harmanpreet Kaur not playing? Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the second T20I against West Indies due to a minor niggle. The injury is not expected to be serious, and she is likely to return to action in the third T20I.
3. Who was the captain of India in Harmanpreet Kaur's absence? Smriti Mandhana captained India in Harmanpreet Kaur's absence. Mandhana is the regular vice-captain of the team and has captained India on several occasions in the past.
4. What was the result of the first T20I between India and West Indies? India won the first T20I by seven wickets. Smriti Mandhana scored an unbeaten 51 to lead India to a comfortable victory.
5. What is the current score in the three-match T20I series? India currently lead the three-match T20I series 2-0. The third and final T20I will be played on February 16, 2023, in Mumbai.
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