Women U-19 World Cup: India beat NZ by 8 wickets to enter final
Potchefstroom (South Africa), Jan 27: Opener Shweta Sherawat smashed an unbeaten fifty after Parshavi Chopra's triple strike as India notched up a comprehensive eight-wicket win over New Zealand to storm into the final of the inaugural Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup here on Friday.
India restricted New Zealand to 107 for nine with Parshavi (3/20) leading a disciplined bowling effort after skipper Shafali Verma won the toss and elected to bowl in the first semifinals.
The 16-year-old leg-spinner broke the backbone of the Kiwi batting line-up with three successive wickets to leave them at 74 for 5 in 13th over.
Titas Sadhu, Mannat Kashyap, Shafali and Archana Devi also scalped one wicket each.
For NZ, Georgia Plimmer (35), Isabella Gaze (26) and Izzy Sharp (13) and Kayley Knight (12) reached double figures as they struggled to score runs at the Senwes Park.
Chasing 108, the women in blue romped home comfortably after Sehrawat produced a scintillating 45-ball unconquered knock which was studded with 10 hits to the fence.
Following the early exit of Shafali (10), who has not performed as per expectations in the tournament, Sehrawat and Soumya Tiwari (22) added 62 runs to take them to the threshold of victory.
Sehrawat and Gongadi Trisha (5) then completed the job with the former bringing up the winning runs with a four off Browning as India scored 110 for 2 in 14.2 overs.
Parshavi was adjudged the Player of the Match for her three-wicket haul.
India will face the winner of the other semifinal between England and Australia.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand Women: 107 for 9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 35; Parshavi Chopra 3/20).
India Women: 110 for 2 in 14.2 overs (Shweta Sherawat 61; Anna Browning 2/18).
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India welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hostage release deal
New Delhi (PTI): India on Thursday welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
The announcement on the deal comes after 15 months of conflict in Gaza.
In its reaction, India hoped that the agreement will lead to a safe and sustained supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.
"We welcome the announcement of the agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"We have consistently called for release of all hostages, ceasefire, and return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy," it said.
