Deepti stars with all-round show as India whitewash Windies 3-0

Vadodara: Senior off-spinner Deepti Sharma did the star turn with career-best figures of 6/31 before doing her bit with the bat as India completed a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies with a five-wicket victory in the final Women’s ODI here on Friday.

Having bowled out West Indies for 162 after Deepti’s superlative performance and pacer Renuka Singh’s (4/29) excellent show with the new ball, India recovered after a top-order wobble to reach the target of 163 in 28.2 overs.

India were in a spot of bother at 73/4 but Deepti (39 not out in 48 balls) used all her experience to see the team through with plenty of overs remaining.

Swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh was unbeaten on an 11-ball 23 when the winning runs were scored.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who eased nerves with two boundaries after last match centurion Harleen Deol’s (1) dismissal left India at 23/2, blazed away to a 22-ball 32 before getting bowled by Afy Fletcher. During her breezy knock, Kaur smashed seven boundaries and looked good for a big one before getting dismissed.

In-form opener Smriti Mandhana (4) departed early as Ashmini Munisar completed a strange one-handed catch after appearing to have misjudged what should actually have been a straightforward catch off the bowling of Aaliyah Alleyne.

Enjoying a good run of form in recent times, vice-captain Mandhana did not get to the pitch of the ball on the day and paid the price.

One-down batter Deol followed suit, nicking for a Deandra Dottin delivery way outside off-stump and got a faint edge that was taken by wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle.

Middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues chipped in with 29 off 45 balls. Earlier, Renuka Thakur tormented West Indies with a fiery opening spell before Deepti got into the act to bowl out the visitors cheaply.

Thakur and Deepti were relentless with the ball, taking all 10 wickets between them.