NAVI MUMBAI: Left to lick their wounds after a 3-0 shellacking by the Aussies on the latter’s home turf recently, the Indian women’s cricket team has given their supporters something to cheer. In the process, Hamanpreet Kaur & Co would’ve also regained some of their confidence, which would’ve been shattered after the drubbing in Australia.
Shrugging off jet lag after playing an ODI series which ended in Perth only on Wednesday, India, egged on by a strong 29,000 holiday crowd at the DY Patil Stadium here on Sunday night, scored a convincing 49-run victory over a lacklustre West Indies, who hardly played like the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup semifinalists, in the opening WT20I here. The second match of the three-game series will be played on Tuesday at the same venue.
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Powered by Jemimah Rodrigues’ sublime 35-ball 73, which included nine-sweetly timed fours and two well-struck sixes, and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s 54 (33b, 7×4, 2×6) and the duo’s blazing 81-run partnership in just 44 balls for the second wicket, India posted a massive 195 for four after the hosts were asked to bat first.
It is India’s highest-ever T20I total against the West Indies (previous best was 185/4 in November 2019 at Gros Islet) and their third-highest in this format overall.

It was then then the turn of the bowlers to come to the party, with seamer Titas Sadhu (3-37 in four overs), and spinners Deepti Sharma (2-21 in four overs) and Radha Yadav (2-28 in four overs) restricting West Indies to 146 for seven in 20 overs.

For a brief while, the Caribbeans gave India a scare when veteran allrounder Deandra Dottin (52, 28b, 4×4, 3×6), who was bought by the Gujarat Giants for Rs 1.7 cr by the Gujarat Giants on Sunday in the WPL mini-auction, and opener Qiana Joseph (49, 33b, 5×4, 3×6) were at the crease. India had the game in the bag when Dottin, who was dropped twice, was finally caught by Radha Yadav at long on off Sadhu in the 15th over.
The hosts were also boosted by a brilliant catch by Minnu Mani, who ran diagonally from mid-on and then dived full length to pull a stunner to send back West Indies’ skipper Hayley Mathews (1) off Sadhu in the second over.
Rodrigues has hardly done justice to her immense potential in WT20Is till now. However, perhaps fired up by the home crowd, the Mumbaikar showed why the national selectors have been so patient with her and what fantastic ability she possesses when in full flow. Coming out all guns blazing on a typical batting paradise here, the India No 3 feasted on the erratic West Indies’ bowlers.

The 24-year-old’s 12th in WT20Is- will certainly rank amongst the batter’s best innings in this format, even though the West Indies attack was docile, in fact mediocre. By the 11th over, the clueless-looking visitors had used up seven bowlers, and eventually eight had a go with the ball.
However, apart from off-spinner Karishma Ramharack (2 for 18 in four overs), the others were just cannon fodder for Rodrigues and the other Indian batters. To make it worse for them, the West Indians bowled 10 wides and grassed four catches too.
The stage for India’s massive total was set by Mandhana (she scored her 28th WT20I fifty, sixth this year) and Uma Chetry (24, 26b, 4×4) in a 50-run partnership in 39 balls. Preferred over the explosive Shafali Verma, Chetry showed promise while stroking a few delightful fours on the off-side. Thereafter, it was the ‘Rodrigues show’ all the way, with Mandhana, coming off a superb century (105) in the final WODI against Australia at Perth on Wednesday, just looking to enjoy herself, as the duo pulverised the West Indian bowlers.

Rodrigues’ relentless onslaught had a ‘touch of 360 degree’ -there were shots all around the ground including a few behind the wicket. Having mastered the sweep shot by now, she swept and reverse swept the West Indies’ spinners in dominating fashion, but what was also impressive was her power-hitting-there was a hooked six off medium-pacer Shamilia Connell and a six over long-off off veteran allrounder Deandra Dottin in the 19th over. Just a ball earlier, she had showcased her ability to improvise brilliantly, scooping Dottin for four in the fine-leg region.
The finishing touches to India’s innings were provided by Richa Ghosh (20, 14b, 2×4, 1×6). Ghosh’s cameo ended when Dottin pouched a superb catch at deep mid-wicket off Mandy Mangru in the 17th over.