Smriti, Renuka sparkle as India crush WI by 211 runs

The opener's 91 helps pile on the runs in 1st ODI before Renuka's fifer bundles out WI

- Samreen Razzaqui

NEW DELHI: Smriti Mandhana and Renuka Singh Thakur starred in India's crushing 211-run win over West Indies in the first women's One-Day International at the newly constructed Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday. This was India's second biggest win by runs in ODIs, behind the 249-run win over Ireland in 2017.

Mandhana extended her rich vein of form, the opener registering her fourth consecutive half-century as India posted a commanding 314/9.

Building upon her stellar performances in the T20Is where she struck three successive fifties and amassed 193 runs in India's 2-1 series victory, Mandhana dazzled with a 102-ball 91 laced with 13 boundaries. She forged a 110-run opening stand with debutant Pratika Rawal (40), but fell short of a century after being trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Zaida James trying to play a paddle shot.

While Rawal had some teething trouble on her ODI debut, she eventually impressed with a composed 40 off 69 balls, setting the tone for India's huge total.