Navi Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS) Another brief spell of rain caused further delay in the start of New Zealand’s innings against India in Match 24 of the Women’s ODI World Cup at the Dr DY. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

New Zealand have to chase a DLS revised target of 325 runs in 44 overs as play started at 8:25 pm local time. The mandatory overs were reduced to nine.

Earlier, a short drizzle soon after the 48th over of the Indian innings halted play and forced the ground staff to bring out the covers. Wet patches at some places resulted in the match being halted for nearly 90 minutes, resulting in the match being reduced to 49 overs per side, with the mid-innings break reduced to 10 minutes.

The team came out at 7.50 pm for New Zealand to bowl one over as India reached 340/3 in 49 overs, riding on centuries by Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal and a breezy 76 by Jemimah Rodrigues.

India had raced to 329 in 48 overs and looked to make a final push towards 350 when it started pouring, sending the players scurrying into their respective dugouts. The ground staff rushed in with the covers for what was a passing drizzle.

While Smriti Mandhana was aggressive in her approach and hammered ten boundaries and three sixes in her 109 off 95 balls, Pratika dropped the anchor and compiled a superb 122 off 134 balls, hitting 13 boundaries and two sixes as India made hay on a pristine dry pitch that was quite good for batting.

India’s much-maligned top order finally came good as Jemimah Rodrigues, brought into the playing XI in place of Amanjot Kaur, built on the foundation laid by Mandhana and Rawal as she scored a blazing half-century to give the innings a final push.

India scored 75 runs in the overs between 11th to 20th and 73 in the next set of 10 overs, while 66/1 came off overs between 31-40.

Asked to bat first, India made a slow start in which they crawled to 40/0 in the Power-play. Mandhana and Rawal changed gears after that, and India scored 75 runs in the next 10 overs (11th to 20th) and 73 in the overs between 21st to 30th, while 66/1 came off overs between 31-40.

–IANS

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