WI W VS IND W 3RD ODI

Right then, Harmanpreet Kaur collects the trophy and hands it over to the two debutants of the ODI series, Tanuja Kanwer and Pratika Rawal. The Indian players, joined by the support staff, gather for celebratory pictures with the trophy in front of the 'Winners' board. With this, the West Indies Women's tour of India comes to an end, marking a contrasting finish to the year for both teams. Hayley Matthews and her side will now turn their attention to their next challenge at home, where they will host Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, although the dates are yet to be confirmed. As for India, they will look to carry their momentum into 2025 as they face Ireland in a three-match ODI series in Rajkot, starting on January 10. There's a lot of cricket to look forward to as we bid adieu to 2024. So, switch tabs and enjoy all the action as it unfolds. Cheers!

The Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur says that Renuka Singh Thakur always sets the tone for them and is happy to see her contributing in this fashion. Feels that these games show how mentally strong you are and she is glad about the way Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma handled the situation. Tells that the bowling unit has been working hard and they got the results in this series. Mentions that fielding is an area they are consistently looking to improve.

Renuka Singh Thakur is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for picking 10 wickets in the series. She credits the helpful wicket and her teammates' support for her performance. She shares that her teammates motivated her with playful bets on every wicket she took. Renuka humorously adds that she plans to claim her rewards for her efforts. Reflecting on the disappointing Australia tour, she reveals that discussions with Jhulan Goswami and hard work in the nets have significantly improved her bowling. Renuka expresses her determination to continue improving her skills.

Deepti Sharma is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her all-round heroics. She says that she was waiting for her turn to bowl and she focused on bowling in the right areas to give her side the breakthrough. Shares that she tries to read the batter and stay clear in her mind about what to bowl. Feels that Chinelle Henry's wicket was crucial and she is happy to have managed to dismiss her.

The captain of West Indies, Hayley Matthews acknowledges her team fell short on runs but praises the bowlers for showing fight. She notes that the pitch remained consistent, though the team’s batting performance was below par. Matthews highlights the importance of focusing on team depth and commends Chinelle Henry’s strong batting display. She emphasizes the need to return to basics to improve future performances.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Pratika Rawal is also in for a flash interview. She says that she is happy that they managed to complete a clean sweep and it is more special since it is her first series. Admits that she got out playing a bad shot and adds that she will look to bat cautiously in the coming games. Shares that she desires to finish games for India. Ends by saying that she wants to contribute to the team's cause in all facets of the game.

Jemimah Rodrigues is in for a chat. She praises her team’s performance, particularly highlighting the bowling efforts of Renuka Singh Thakur and Deepti Sharma. She acknowledges the tricky batting conditions with variable bounce but credits a strategic partnership with Deepti, focusing on countering Hayley Matthews effectively. Rodrigues emphasizes the importance of a clean sweep in the series for team confidence ahead of the series against Ireland. She humorously adds that she doesn’t mind extra fielding effort if the bowlers continue to deliver match-winning performances.

Earlier in the game, after opting to bat first, West Indies were jolted early by Renuka Singh Thakur's brilliant spell, as she claimed three quick wickets. Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbelle steadied the ship with a resilient 91-run partnership. However, once the stand was broken, India capitalized on the breakthrough with Deepti Sharma taking charge of the proceedings. She finished with a 6-wicket haul as the tourists slipped from 100/3 to 162 all out.

Having posted only 162 on the board, the visitors knew their only chance lay in taking wickets. They made an excellent start by removing India's top three within the first Powerplay. Harmanpreet Kaur kept the scoreboard ticking despite the early setbacks. However, her dismissal reignited the Windies' hopes. As Deepti Sharma joined Jemimah Rodrigues out in the middle, they knew that all they had to do was to bat sensibly and they did just that. They steadily chipped away at the target by picking ones and twos during their 56-run stand. Rodrigues could not bat through but Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma ensured that there were no more hiccups in the chase.

India get the job done to complete a series sweep! While they would have preferred a more comfortable chase, credit must be given to the West Indies for making them work hard and providing a challenge, something they hadn't done in the previous games. It was a day to remember for Deepti Sharma, whose all-round brilliance powered the Women in Blue to victory.

SIX! That's it! India Women win the series 3-0! Richa Ghosh finishes things off in style! Afy Fletcher pitches it up on the stumps this time and Richa Ghosh slogs it hard, from the middle of the bat. Clears the deep mid-wicket fence and gets her team to a brilliant victory! India Women win the game by 5 wickets!

SIX! BANG! Another impactful stroke down the ground from Richa Ghosh! 2 more runs to win for India Women! Afy Fletcher floats the ball up, just outside the off stump line, slower in the air. Richa Ghosh takes the front foot out and slams the ball up and over the bowler's head for a huge six over the long off boundary.

Nagging length on off. Deepti Sharma blocks it from the crease to end the over.

Just short outside off. Deepti Sharma slaps it straight to point.

SIX! BANG! 150 comes up for India Women. Ashmini Munisar tosses the ball up on the leg stump this time and Deepti Sharma gets on the knee and slogs the ball getting the middle of the bat. The ball sails over the deep mid-wicket fence for a six. 8 more runs required for India Women now.

Floats the ball up on the middle stump. Deepti Sharma blocks it off the fornt foot.

Drops the length back on the stumps. Richa Ghosh stays back and taps the ball to long on for one.