Shikha Pandey’s 5-for guides India Women to easy win over Zimbabwe Women in warm-up match ahead of Quadrangular series

Though India Women chased down the target in 20 overs, the two teams agreed to play on a longer as this was a warm-up match.

India Women eased past Zimbabwe Women by 7 wickets and with 180 balls to spare in the warm-up match ahead of the quadrangular series. Though India Women chased down the target in 20 overs, the two teams agreed to play on a longer as this was a warm-up match. Earlier, Shikha Pandey’s 5 for 20 restricted Zimbabwe to just 106 in 41 overs. The four-nation tournament will consist of India, Ireland, Zimbabwe and hosts South Africa. The first match of the series will be played on May 7 and the final of the tournament will be held on May 21. Full Cricket Updates: Women’s Quadrangular series 2017, IND vs ZIM, SA vs IRE

While Shikha took 5, Jhulan Goswami, Deepti Sharma, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav and Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with a wicket apiece. Only three Zimbabwe players went past double-digits; Chipo Mugeri top-scored with a 112-ball 46.

India did not have much trouble chasing the target down. They maintained an excellent run rate throughout their innings. The 62-run stand for the second wicket between Deepti Sharma (29) and Mona Meshram (27) sealed the game for them. Harmanpreet was the only player to miss out as she was dismissed for a 2-ball 0. India kept batting on and were eventually bowled out for 291. Mithali Raj decided to retire out at 94 off 87, while Jhulan Goswami smashed it around for a 38-ball 54.

Earlier, Zimbabwe Women kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The 43-run stand between Mugeri and Precious Marange ensured that Zimbabwe went past the 150-run mark. Players from all four countries will take this tournament seriously as this is an excellent platform to get some practice under their belts ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, which kicks off next month in England. South Africa and India go into that tournament as firm contenders. A good performance in this competition will give them all the confidence they need ahead of the tournament.

Brief Scores:

Zimbabwe Women 106 in 41 overs (Chipo Mugeri 46, Precious Marange 25; Shikha Pandey 5 for 20, Poonam Yadav 1 for 9) lost to India Women 291 in 49.1 overs (Mithali Raj 94, Jhulan Goswami 54; Esther Mbofana 2 for 64, Josephine Nkomo 2 for 38) by 6 wickets with 180 balls to spare.

Note: Both teams agreed to play on despite India’s win.

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