India women 104 for 0 (Verma 69*, Mandhana 30*) beat West Indies women 103 for 7 (Nation 32, Deepti 4-10) by 10 wickets

A day after they recorded India’s highest partnership in women’s T20Is, openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on yet another stellar display to chase down a small target of 104 against West Indies in St Lucia to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

The win, however, was set up by offspinner Deepti Sharma, who ran through West Indies’ middle order to finish with her career-best T20I figures of 4 for 10.

ALSO READ: Shafali Verma, India’s 15-year-old prodigy

Opting to bat first, West Indies lost Stacy-Ann King and Shemaine Campbelle within the powerplay, where they made just 17 runs.

While fast bowlers Pooja Vastrakar and Shikha Pandey sent West Indies’ openers back, the spinners caused most of the damage after that. The hosts’ only bit of fight came from Chedean Nation and Natasha McLean, who put up a 32-run stand for the fourth wicket, but Sharma came back for her second spell in the 16th over to remove both of them.

She produced another double-strike in the 20th over, removing Chinelle Henry and Sheneta Grimmond off consecutive deliveries, as West Indies limped to 103 for 7.

India wasted no time in their reply, as 15-year-old Verma slammed six fours in the first two overs of the innings, off Henry and King. She was the aggressor in the partnership, hitting six more fours and two sixes, while Mandhana hit four fours on her way to a 28-ball 33 not out.

Verma finished with an unbeaten 35-ball 69 as the duo sealed the chase in just 10.3 overs.