Harmanpreet Kaur returned to action after a period of absence in the first ODI vs West Indies, in Baroda on Sunday. The India captain missed the last T20Is vs West Indies due to injury, which the hosts went on to win 2-1 and were led by Smriti Mandhana, who was the standby skipper.
Harmanpreet Kaur on ‘struggling’ with injury
India won the match by 211 runs, courtesy of a five-wicket haul by Renuka Singh. Meanwhile after the match, Harmanpreet opened up about her recent injury issues. Speaking in the post-match interaction, she said, “I should give credit to our physio team, they've been working really hard. I've been struggling with the knee for 3-4 months, big thanks to them for getting me fit.”
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“Credit goes to our fielding coach as well. Happy with how things are going. The way Smriti is batting, that's something outstanding. It's looking really easy but trust me it is not. Renuka's bowling has been amazing for so many years and today was special. We've been speaking about fielding as well, the way we've done in the last series and today has been great. Facilities in India are great, we love playing in home conditions. Beautiful ground, beautiful conditions, we're grateful to the BCCI for their support,” she added.
Defending a target of 315 runs, India bowled out West Indies for 103 in 26.2 overs. Other than Renuka’s fifer, Priya Mishra took two wickets. In the first innings, Mandhana slammed 91 runs off 102 balls, packed with 13 fours, as India posted 314/9 in 50 overs. Meanwhile, debutant Pratika Rawal registered 40 off 69 balls.
{{/usCountry}}Defending a target of 315 runs, India bowled out West Indies for 103 in 26.2 overs. Other than Renuka’s fifer, Priya Mishra took two wickets. In the first innings, Mandhana slammed 91 runs off 102 balls, packed with 13 fours, as India posted 314/9 in 50 overs. Meanwhile, debutant Pratika Rawal registered 40 off 69 balls.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the second ODI, the visitors will look to improve their batting especially after their performance on Sunday. In the run chase, all of their top-four batters were dismissed for single figures, and their openers left for ducks. India will need to thank Renuka for her stunning display, as she bagged figures of 5/29 and didn’t let the West Indies innings get a foothold in the run-chase.