On Saturday, New Zealand opener Suzie Bates smashed a match-winning ton against India, scoring her 11th ODI century and restricting India from chasing down a total of 275.
Knockout performances by Suzie Bates, Amy Satterthwaite, and Jess Kerr ensured that the WHITE FERNS defeated Women in Blue by 62 runs in the first ODI of the five-match series. Bates scored 106 in 111 balls on a "pretty special" day as New Zealand continued their match-winning streak. India will now have a chance to bounce back in the 2nd ODI of the series on 15th February. The match will be streamed live and exclusively on Amazon Prime Video at 3:30 AM IST.
Catch the highlights of the first ODI - from the fall of wickets for each day, top hits, and much more, of this test series exclusively on Prime Video.
New Zealand’s opening batswoman Maddy Green had to retreat to the pavilion early on in the game after scoring a measly 17 off 28 balls. But that did not rattle Bates. She knocked 106 runs out of the field alongside Amy Satterthwaite who added a stellar 63-runs helping New Zealand put 275 runs on the board.
Bates spent a year recovering from her shoulder injury and spoke about why this century was special. She said, “It means a lot. In the moment of the game, you are just doing what needs to be done to have your team win, but it’s been a while since I have scored a century for New Zealand. Having a shoulder injury and coming back in the England series and not playing how I would have liked to. There were self-doubts creeping in, but it is really nice to start this series of so well.”
Meanwhile, India got off to a shaky start. Despite a near 100-run partnership between captain Mithali Raj and Yastika Bhatia, the team could not pick up the pace it needed to chase the 275-run total down. Still adapting to the NZ pitch conditions, India slumped to defeat after being bowled out at a total of 213 runs. Jess Kerr’s 4-wicket haul led the bowling attack of the White Ferns. India had four bowlers pick up two wickets apiece.
Indian bowler Rajeshwari Gaikwad spoke about the challenges of the NZ climate as the team adjusts to the wind impacting the deliveries.
She said, "Bowling is very challenging here due to the wind. Pacers and spinners both face this challenge with the wind. But we have a lot of fun bowling on a wicket like this. It will take us some time to adjust to this wicket and we are playing together after a long time. We aren't making excuses as we try to play to our best on the field."
Tune in to the second ODI of the five-match ODI series will begin on 15th February and will stream live and exclusively on Amazon Prime Video at 3:30 AM.
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