By Avenash Ramzan
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur became the third player to score a Women’s World T20 hundred as India piled up 194-5 against New Zealand in the opening match of the 2018 tournament at Providence on Friday morning.
Batting first after winning the toss, India slipped to 40-3 by the sixth over with openers Taniya Bhatia (2) and Smriti Mandhana (9) and Dayalan Hemalatha (15) all back in the dugout.
Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then proceeded to rebuild the innings in destructive fashion, adding 134 for the fourth wicket. Rodrigues made 59 off 45 balls (7x4s), but it was Kaur, who led the fightback, smashing eight sixes and seven fours in her 51-ball 103.
In the process, Kaur became the first Indian player to score a Women’s World T20 century.
She was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings, and left the field to a standing ovation. Bowling for New Zealand, Lea-Marie Tahuhu took 2-18.
