Skipper Mithali Raj made a strokeful half-century but could not save India from a 17-run defeat in its first warm-up match against New Zealand in the ICC women’s World Twenty20 championship here on Tuesday.
Put into bat, New Zealand rode on Katie Perkins’ 40 off 36 balls to compile 138 for eight in its 20 overs. In reply, India managed 121 for the loss of eight wickets at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan stadium.
Opener Mithali hit seven fours and a six in her 47-ball 53 but failed to find support at the other end.
Left-arm pacer Morna Nielsen dealt early blows as she removed Smriti Mandhana (11), Shikha Pandey (0) and Poonam Raut (0) to put India on the backfoot. India was struggling at 67 for five in 12.1 overs when Madhuri Mehta (5) and Latika Kumar (6) were sent back by Hayley Jensen.
The scores : New Zealand 138 for eight in 20 overs (Katie Perkins 40, Sara McGlashan 34, Jhulan Goswami three for 15) bt India 121 for eight in 20 overs (Mithali Raj 53 retd. hurt, Harmanpreet Kaur 27, Morna Nielsen three for nine). — PTI
