-India vs New Zealand, 24th Match, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 – Match Report
Navi Mumbai/Patiala, 24 October (Sports Desk)
- Venue: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, India
- Series: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (Super League stage)
- Toss: New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first
- Result: India won by 53 runs (DLS method)
- Player of the Match: Smriti Mandhana (India) – 109 (95 balls, 10×4, 3×6) for her masterful century that powered India’s record World Cup total and set up the victory
- Match Status: India secure semi-final spot as the fourth qualifier; will face Australia in the semi-final on October 30 at DY Patil Stadium
- Attendance: Record 25,166 (highest for the tournament so far)
In a rain-interrupted thriller, India crushed New Zealand’s hopes in a must-win clash to storm into the semi-finals. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s elegant 14th ODI century anchored a historic batting display, helping India post their highest-ever World Cup total. The match, delayed by over two hours due to rain, saw New Zealand set a revised DLS target but crumble under pressure, bowled out well short. This victory ends India’s three-match losing streak and showcases their batting depth, with young opener Pratika Rawal also shining brightly.
India overcame a cautious start (18/0 in first powerplay) to unleash a batting masterclass. Openers Mandhana and Rawal scripted a record 212-run stand—the highest for India in women’s ODIs and any wicket in Women’s World Cups. Mandhana’s fluent knock, featuring drives and pulls, included her first ton of the tournament off 86 balls. Rawal, playing her breakout innings, became the joint-fastest to 1,000 ODI runs (23 innings). Jemimah Rodrigues, returning to the XI, provided late fireworks with an unbeaten fifty, pushing India past their previous WC best of 330 vs Australia. Suzie Bates broke the opening stand, but India accelerated relentlessly.
watch…..Australia Triumphs: ODI Victory Over India by 2 Wickets
India Innings: 340/3 in 49 overs (6.94 RPO)
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhana (vc) | c Bates b Bates | 109 | 95 | 10 | 3 | 114.74 |
| Pratika Rawal | c Green b Kerr | 122 | 134 | 12 | 2 | 91.04 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | not out | 76 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 131.03 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (c) | c Devine b Tahuhu | 15 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Harleen Deol | not out | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Deepti Sharma | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sneh Rana | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kranti Gaud | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Shree Charani | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Renuka Singh | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (b 0, lb 4, w 5, nb 1) | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 3 wkts, 49 overs | 340 | – | – | – | – |
Fall of Wickets: 1-212 (Mandhana, 32.5 ov), 2-288 (Rawal, 43.2 ov), 3-320 (Kaur, 46.4 ov).
Bowling (New Zealand):
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suzie Bates | 8 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 6.50 |
| Lea Tahuhu | 9 | 0 | 62 | 1 | 6.89 |
| Rosemary Mair | 9 | 0 | 68 | 0 | 7.56 |
| Jess Kerr | 7 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 7.14 |
| Amelia Kerr | 10 | 0 | 60 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Eden Carson | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Sophie Devine | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
New Zealand Innings: 271 all out in 41.5 overs (6.50 RPO) – Revised Target: 325 in 44 overs (DLS)
Rain forced a revised target of 325 off 44 overs for New Zealand—the highest chase ever attempted in women’s ODIs. They started aggressively but lost early wickets to India’s seamers. Isabella Gaze’s gritty fifty offered resistance, but Deepti Sharma’s spin dismantled the middle order. Renuka Singh and Kranti Gaud were miserly in the powerplay (no boundaries conceded), while part-timer Pratika Rawal claimed a maiden WC wicket. New Zealand’s chase faltered in the middle overs, collapsing from 252/6 to 271 all out, handing India a comfortable win. Deepti’s 3/45 was crucial in the spin-friendly conditions post-rain.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suzie Bates | c Ghosh b Renuka | 22 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Georgia Plimmer | b Gaud | 18 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Sophie Devine (c) | c Rodrigues b Deepti | 45 | 52 | 4 | 1 | 86.54 |
| Brooke Halliday | lbw b Deepti | 32 | 38 | 3 | 0 | 84.21 |
| Amelia Kerr | c Kaur b Sneh Rana | 19 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 86.36 |
| Maddy Green | c Rawal b Rawal | 28 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Isabella Gaze (wk) | run out (Ghosh) | 54 | 40 | 6 | 1 | 135.00 |
| Jess Kerr | c Mandhana b Gaud | 18 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 138.46 |
| Rosemary Mair | c Mandhana b Deepti | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Lea Tahuhu | b Shree Charani | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 88.89 |
| Eden Carson | not out | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Extras | (b 2, lb 3, w 8, nb 0) | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | all out, 41.5 overs | 271 | – | – | – | – |
Fall of Wickets: 1-41 (Bates, 7.2 ov), 2-62 (Plimmer, 11.4 ov), 3-118 (Halliday, 21.3 ov), 4-145 (A. Kerr, 26.1 ov), 5-170 (Devine, 29.5 ov), 6-252 (Green, 37.2 ov), 7-252 (Gaze, 37.3 ov), 8-264 (J. Kerr, 39.2 ov), 9-269 (Mair, 40.4 ov), 10-271 (Tahuhu, 41.5 ov).
Bowling (India):
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renuka Singh | 8 | 1 | 38 | 1 | 4.75 |
| Kranti Gaud | 8.5 | 0 | 52 | 2 | 5.95 |
| Shree Charani | 7 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 6.86 |
| Deepti Sharma | 9 | 0 | 45 | 3 | 5.00 |
| Sneh Rana | 5 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Pratika Rawal | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 11.00 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 13.00 |
Key Highlights and Turning Points
- Record-Breaking Opening Stand: Mandhana and Rawal’s 212-run partnership erased any early nerves, surpassing India’s previous best (191 vs England, 2017). Mandhana’s century (off 86 balls) was her 14th in ODIs, second only to Meg Lanning’s 15, and her fifth in 2025—joint-most in a calendar year. Rawal’s 122 was her second ODI ton and maiden WC hundred, making her joint-fastest to 1,000 ODI runs.
- Rain Delay and DLS Adjustment: Over two hours lost to rain reduced New Zealand’s chase to 44 overs with a 325 target. This steep ask (7.39 RPO required) proved insurmountable, though NZ briefly threatened with Gaze’s aggressive 54 (40 balls, including a six).
- Powerplay Mastery: Renuka and Gaud’s seven-run powerplay (no boundaries) stifled NZ’s start, reducing them to 41/1. This set the tone for India’s control.
- Spin Stranglehold: Deepti’s 3/45, including Devine and Halliday, triggered a middle-order collapse. Rawal’s surprise over yielded Green’s wicket, her first in WCs.
- Mandhana’s All-Round Impact: Beyond her batting, Mandhana took sharp catches (J. Kerr, Mair) to seal the win. Her knock, with three sixes (two off Amelia Kerr), earned her the Aramco Player of the Match award.
- Pitch and Conditions: The Navi Mumbai pitch favored batsmen early but assisted spinners post-rain. Clear skies post-delay, with temperatures around 28°C. Crowd roars peaked at Mandhana’s century and the final wicket.
India’s dominant performance cements their status as semi-finalists, boosting morale after recent losses. For New Zealand, elimination stings, but Gaze’s promise signals a bright future. The semi-final against Australia promises fireworks, with Mandhana’s form a key weapon.
