Shafali, Deepti power Indian women to 10-wicket win over West Indies
Gros Islet (St Lucia): Teenager Shafali Verma scored her second consecutive half century after off-spinner Deepti Sharma starred with the ball as the Indian women's cricket team registered an emphatic 10-wicket win over the West Indies in the second T20 International here.
The 15-year-old Shafali continued her impressive run by scoring a quick-fire 69 off 35 balls alongside Smriti Mandhana (30). The duo powered India to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series on Sunday night.
Shafali, who overtook the iconic Sachin Tendulkar to become the youngest Indian cricketer to score a half-century in international cricket, displayed scintillating form yet again and smashed 10 fours and two sixes.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers, led by Deepti, who registered career-best figures of 4 for 10, managed to restrict the West Indies for a paltry 103 for seven in the stipulated 20 overs.
Opting to bat, the West Indies openers struggled to get going. Pacer Shikha Pandey drew first blood for India when she dismissed Stacy-Ann King (7) in the fourth over.
Wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle soon followed after Radha Yadav (1/20) had her stumped for a duck.
Opener Hayley Mathews (23) and Chedean Nations (32) tried to resurrect the West Indies innings but could only manage a 32-run stand as pacer Pooja Vastrakar(1/23) dimissed the former.
However, the West Indies were unable to get any kind of momentum going as wickets kept tumbling. Deepti accounted for the four wickets in the last four overs.
Later Mandhana, who had also smashed a half-century in the series-opener, played second fiddle to Shafali in guiding the team home. The 23-year-old's innings was laced with four boundaries.
West Indies captain Anisa Mohammed had no answer to the Indian duo and used seven bowlers, including herself, with no success. The combined effort saw India reach their target in 10.3 overs. The third T20I will be played at Providence Stadium in Guyana on November 14.
Brief scores: West Indies 103/7 in 20 overs (Chedean Nation 32, Hayley Matthews 23; Deepti Sharma 4-10) lost to India 104/0 in 10.3 overs (Shafali Verma 69 not out, Smriti Mandhana 30 out) by 10 wickets.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
