India 167 for 2 (Mandhana 74*, Harmanpreet 56*, Bruce 1-25) beat West Indies 111 for 4 (Campbelle 47, Matthews 34, Deepti 2-29) by 56 runs
West Indies gain early control
Having been asked to bowl first, West Indies made a good first impression. Shanika Bruce – making her West Indies debut, having played an international for Barbados at the Commonwealth Games last year – kept openers Yastika Bhatia and Mandhana, whom she had dismissed in Birmingham last year, quiet. She regularly beat Bhatia’s outside edge and only gave away two fours in her two overs in the powerplay.
From the opposite end, Shamilia Connell, who was impressive against South Africa, barely gave away runs, bowling ten dots in her two overs. In all, West Indies bowled 21 dots in the phase and gave away only 37 – 12 of which came off a single Karishma Ramharack over in which Bhatia fell.
Mandhana, Harmanpreet change the narrative
Harmanpreet was returning after missing the opening clash due to illness and found herself in the middle with Mandhana with India devoid of much momentum. They were placed at 60 for 2 at the ten-over mark with Mandhana on 21 off 20.
Harmanpreet then bookended the 11th over with fours off Matthews to signal a change of gears. The three overs after drinks saw India plunder 28. They also used the sweep against the legspin of Afy Fletcher and the delicate dabs against left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz.
The pair took 18 off the 18th over bowled by Connell, with Mandhana and Harmanpreet hitting a couple of fours each. Harmanpreet also completed a fifty in the final over as India managed to score 50 off the last four overs.