The Indian women’s cricket team is currently in the Caribbean islands and locking horns with the West Indies team for a five-match T20I series but the way the women in blue are performing, it feels like a home series. In the first of five matches that took place at the Beausejour Stadium in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, the Women in Blue found themselves batting first as the Windies decided to bowl first after winning the toss.
Making the most of the situation, Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana went berserk and smashed their respective half-tons and formed a dominating 143-run partnership in 15.3 overs to give their side a big start.
The explosive 15-year-old Shafali Verma scored her maiden half-century in the first T20I against West Indies Women today in St Lucia. Shafali is the youngest Indian ever to score an int'l fifty👏🏾👏🏾 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/O2MfVdNBOv
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) November 10, 2019
After giving a total of 185 runs the West Indies players to chase, Indian bowlers took control of the game right from the beginning of their attack with Shikha Pandey scalping Hayley Matthews’ wicket in the second over. Team India registered their first win of the series as they restricted the hosts for just 101 runs in 20 overs with the loss of nine wickets.
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However, the highlight of the match was the 15-year-old Shafali Verma who struck six boundaries and four maximums while putting up 73 runs on the board in just 49 deliveries. Her maiden half-century made her the youngest Indian ever to score an international fifty as se broke the record of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
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Shafali continued her prolific run in the second match as well as she helped India women defeat West Indies women by 10 wickets in the second T20I of the five-match series at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. Chasing a modest target of 104 on Sunday evening, Indian eves broke little sweat as both the Indian openers, who stitched a record partnership in the first match, got the team across the line in the 11th over.
However, the bigger achievement for the young cricketer has to be the love shown by the fans of Indian cricket:
amazing for @smrtii and @shafali and also for @indianwomencricketteam
— satyam singh (@satyams10738511) November 10, 2019
Shafali is just 15 ! That what cricbuzz shows… Wow !!!
— Jigs (@jigs3993) November 10, 2019
India is thrilled by this explosive talent !
— Ravindranatha Maroli (@RavindranathaM) November 10, 2019
One fan even wished that Verma would replace the opener for the Men’s Indian cricket team, Shikhar Dhawan and open the Indian batting order with Rohit Sharma in future.
She should open with @ImRo45 coz men’s team will not be able to win icc championship….
— Ashwini Chaudhary (@Ashwini27497556) November 10, 2019
