1st WODI: New Zealand crush India by 62 runs despite Mithali half-century
Queenstown(PTI): Skipper Mithali Raj's well-crafted half-century went in vain as Indian batting flopped once again with the visitors losing the first WODI against New Zealand by 62 runs here on Saturday.
Opting to bowl, New Zealand rode on Suzie Bates century (106 off 111 balls) to score a challenging 275 and India were all-out in the last over for 213 in 49.4 overs and never for once looked like being in the chase.
The 39-year-old Mithali, playing her 221st ODI, continued her dream form in the format -- seven fifties in the last 11 innings in ODIs -- to keep India in the hunt with a 73-ball 59 (6x4).
Indian women's team in their last ODI recorded their highest ever run chase of 265 set by Australia women in September last year, a win that had ended their rivals 26-match winning streak.
Mithali also joined Charlotte Edwards in making 1,000 runs against four different teams -- Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand -- in ODI cricket.
She also became the first Indian to reach 1000 women's ODI runs against New Zealand.
Mithali got a fine support from left-hander Yastika Bhatia, who dropped down to her usual No 3 spot, to stroke a 63-ball 41 as the duo added 88 runs in their recovery act.
But she perished to a short ball from Hayley Jensen (2/36), something that triggered the Indian collapse before Jess Kerr sealed the issue for the hosts with a matchwinning 4/35 as India collapsed for 213 in 49.4 overs to trail the five-match ODI series 0-1.
India had earlier lost the one-off T20I by 18 runs in their series opener on February 9.
India also paid a price for Harmanpreet Kaur's poor form as she coming fresh from her exploits in the Big Bash where she was adjudged 'Player of the Tournament' could not make it big perishing for a 22-ball 10.
She last notched a fifty in March 2021 against South Africa as her last five innings scores read a poor 10, 16, 19, 1, 30 not out, painting a sorry picture for India ahead of the World Cup starting here from March 4.
The absence of their star batter Smriti Mandhana, who is serving her extended managed isolation and quarantine, once again hurt India badly especially in their record chase of 275.
There was no more left-right opening combination with southpaw Yastika Bhatia going down to her usual No 3, while Meghana partnered Shafali Verma up front.
Rewarded for her impressive T20I outing (a 30-ball 37 at No 4) the other day, Meghana was watchful to start with as India's run chase started with 12 dot balls, courtesy Tahuhu and Jess Kerr's maiden overs.
Her wobbly innings (four from 14 balls) finally ended in the fifth over after she edged one to the slip as Shafali (12 from 16b) became impatient to miss full stump to be trapped lbw in a soft manner.
Wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh made a cameo of 27-ball 22 but after her dismissal with a fine stumping India's run-chase fizzled out.
Earlier, New Zealand were eyeing a score of 300-plus with veteran opener Suzie Bates's sparkling 11th ODI century, but India bounced back strongly taking last five wickets for 25 runs to bundle them out for 275 in 48.1 overs.
Suzie made full of the reprieve she got on 14 when Rajeshwari Gayakwad dropped her at point off Pooja Vastrakar's bowling to score a sublime 106 off 111 balls, studded with 10 boundaries.
Suzie got to her 38th fifty in 66 balls, her first ODI half-century since January 2020 to draw level with fellow White Ferns legend Debbie Hockley.
She later notched her triple in 107 balls, with a single off Poonam Yadav and in the next over she made her intention clear with back foot pull for a boundary against Deepti Sharma.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
