The Indian women's cricket team registered wins in both of their warm-up matches to be ready for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in UAE. Harmanpreet Kaur's team, which is looking to become the first Indian side with a senior World Cup, defeated West Indies and South Africa in their practice games ahead of the main action which gets underway from October 3 onwards.
The Women in Blue defeated the finalists of the previous edition South Africa by 28 runs as nine players chanced their arm with the ball after putting 144 with the bat. The No.3 position question mark might have been answered by the Indian team with the captain herself coming to bat at the spot in both games but could not get a notable score.
Jemimah Rodrigues made 52 and 30 in the two games, while Richa Ghosh scored 7 and 36. Deepti Sharma helped Richa in the finish as the all-rounder made 35 from 29 balls. South African bowler Ayabonga Khaka picked up a fifer.
In the run-chase, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits saw off the powerplay but the latter fell soon after to Asha Sobhana. The Indians kept chipping away with regular wickets and did not let the Proteas come into the chase. Chloe Tryon and Annerie Dercksen tried their bit in the middle and end but all they could manage was 116/8 from 20 overs. Asha Sobhana was the pick of the bowlers as she took two wickets for 21 in her three overs. Deepti, Shreyanka Patil, Harmanpreet Kaur and Shafali Verma also picked a wicket each in India's 28-run win.
In the two other warm-up games, England defeated New Zealand, while defending champions Australia got the better of West Indies. The Three Lions outclassed the Kiwis after chasing down a meagre total of 128 with Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danielle Gibson starring with the bat.
In the other game, Australia defended 144 after an early scare from the Windies. While chasing 145, the 2016 champions were in the game as Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph gave the team a fine start. But in the 10th over with the team on 68, Joseph fell to Ellyse Perry and then the wickets kept falling. Apart from the two openers, no one could get into the double-digit as the Windies lost by 35 runs.
