India skittled West Indies out in Vadodara today (December 22), to record their second-largest ever win in a women's ODI and go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
The result is a blow to West Indies' chances of securing automatic qualification to next year's World Cup. They currently sit in ninth position in the table and need to secure a sixth-place finish or higher to avoid going through the Qualifier tournament. West Indies have five matches left to play in the Championship and currently have 14 points. They will have to win at least four of those games to stand a chance at securing automatic qualification.
India were on top from the get go at the Kotambi Stadium, with Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal putting on a 110-run opening partnership. Mandhana has now scored 50 or more in her last five international innings. She scored a century against Australia in an ODI earlier in the month and scored 54, 62 and 77 in the T20I series against West Indies. After contributions from Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues, as well as a 13-ball 26 from Richa Ghosh, India posted West Indies a target of 315, which would have been their highest successful chase in the format.
The chase got off to the worst possible start, however, when Qiana Joseph was run out off the first ball of the innings. Starting at the non-striker's end, Joseph was late setting off after being called through for a single by Hayley Matthews. Ghosh behind the stumps took a good throw from Rodrigues and toppled the bails with Joseph well out of her ground.
The first ball of Renuka's next over spelled curtains for Matthews. She chased after a wide ball from the pacer and Ghosh immediately appealed behind the stumps. The umpire's finger remained down, however, but Ghosh insisted Harmanpreet review the decision, which she was eventually persuaded to do. UltraEdge showed a clear spike to give India their second wicket 13 balls into the chase.
The dangerous Deandra Dottin was also out for a single digit score, the first of three wickets to fall in the space of 15 runs by the end of the powerplay. Renuka dismissed Shabika Gajnabi to leave West indiea six down at the end of the 13th, before the last wicket fell just after the halfway stage. West Indies were all out for 103, giving India the win by 211 runs.
That margin of victory is India's second-largest ever in terms of runs in Women's ODIs. Only above it is their 249-run demolition of Ireland in a quadrangular series in 2017. It's also West Indies' biggest ever defeat in the format, beating their 208-run loss to England in 2019.
Full list: India's largest wins in women's ODIs
Margin of victory | Opposition | Venue | Year |
249 runs | Ireland | Potchefstroom | 2017 |
211 runs | West Indies | Vadodara | 2024 |
207 runs | Pakistan | Dambulla | 2008 |
193 runs | Pakistan | Karachi | 2005 |
186 runs | New Zealand | Derby | 2017 |
182 runs | Pakistan | Kurunegala | 2008 |
178 runs | South Africa | Kimberley | 2018 |
177 runs | Sri Lanka | Kurunegala | 2008 |
170 runs | West Indies | Gurgaon | 2004 |
161 runs | Ireland | Milton Keynes | 1999 |
155 runs | West Indies | Hamilton | 2022 |
154 runs | Netherlands | Lincoln | 2000 |
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