New Zealand 232 (Halliday 86, Plimmer 39, Deepti 3-39, Mishra 2-41) vs India
India had dropped as many as six catches in the second ODI, along with multiple misfields, as they went down heavily. But they came out collectively as a unit on a mission on Tuesday led by the two usual components Jemimah Rodrigues and Radha Yadav, as they frustrated the New Zealand openers in the powerplay.
Rodrigues was into the act in the third over as she almost effected a run-out after a stunning save at short extra cover, with Suzie Bates having to dive full length to just make her crease. Georgia Plimmer smoked a number of crisp on-the-up drives, but Rodrigues stationed at short extra cover was in her element.
Rodrigues’ brilliance came to the fore in the seventh over again when another miscommunication between the two batters ensued, and Bates was caught well short of her crease despite the dive.
Plimmer had, meanwhile, started to find the hang of the red-soil surface. She got her boundary counter running with a solid on drive off Renuka Thakur, who had come in for Arundhati Reddy, before piercing the gap between mid-off and cover off the same bowler. Saima Thakor was also driven for two fours in three balls in the sixth over, but she bounced back with the wicket of Lauren Down, removing her with a gentle length ball that tailed away late and caught her outside edge.
Despite plenty of shots attempted, New Zealand could only manage 35 for 2 after the first powerplay. Sophie Devine, the star of the second ODI, looked ominous from the get-go, striking two authoritative fours within her first seven balls. But she was then undone by a stunning wrong’un from Priya Mishra. Devine didn’t pick the googly off the hand, and went back to a delivery that she ideally should have been forward to, as the ball thudded into her middle stump and left Mishra delirious.
Halliday, though, looked the part right as she walked in. She got off the mark with an elegant off drive, but regular wickets at the other end pinned New Zealand down. Plimmer was removed by Mishra, who induced a thick outside edge, with Deepti taking a sharp catch at slip, after she was guilty of dropping three catches in the second ODI.
New Zealand then lost half their side when another miscommunication ensued between Maddy Green and Halliday, with the former stuck in the middle of the pitch. Rodrigues was again in the thick of things at point.
Halliday then had to do the repair job, and she found an ally in Gaze, with the duo adding 64 runs off 91 balls for the sixth wicket. Both batters rotated the strike well and found the boundaries at regular intervals. Halliday struck her first six in the 38th over off Mishra, and soon reached her sixth ODI fifty with a flick in the 40th over.
Gaze fell chipping a full toss meekly back to Deepti for her first wicket, but Halliday and Rowe carried on by adding 47 off 41 balls for the seventh wicket. Halliday, who was spent by that time, put her foot on the pedal, even showing off a few innovative reverse hits and paddles. She managed to eke out enough power to clear the ropes twice – once off Harmanpreet Kaur and then off Deepti – but fell in the 46th over caught at deep midwicket.
Rowe fell soon after but Tahuhu smashed two fours and a six to help New Zealand end on a high.
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo