[Watch] Captain Smriti Mandhana Puts India In Early Trouble With A Lazy Shot vs NZ-W In 1st ODI

Smriti Mandhana was dismissed by Jess Kerr during the 1st ODI vs NZ [Source: Screen grab from @kingdom_virat1/x.com]

India women are taking on New Zealand women in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This is their first outing after their humiliating exit from the first round of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024.

Notably, the regular captain of the Indian women's team, Harmanpreet Kaur, is not playing in this game, and Smriti Mandhana is leading the side in her absence. Things started well for India, as they won the toss and opted to bat first. 

The management would have hoped for a solid and steady start from the two openers, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. However, things did not go according to plan as the acting captain, Mandhana, fell to a soft dismissal in the third over of the innings. 

Smriti Mandhana Fell While Playing A Lazy Shot

Jess Kerr bowled a back-of-a-length delivery at the off-stump line, angling away from the batter. Mandhana dabbed at the ball away from his body and gave an easy catch into the hands of Georgia Plimmer at backward point. With that Mandhana had walk back to the hut with a personal score of 5 from 7 deliveries. 

Smriti Mandhana's lack of form continues

Notably, this stretched the star Indian batter's lean phase. In the last five international innings across formats, Mandhana has scored only half a century. In the other four, the southpaw has failed to go past her 20s. Mandhana's lack of form was one of the prime reasons India got eliminated from the first round of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. 

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