Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh lead India to series victory

India's exceptional batting display resulted in a total score of 217/4, which stands as their highest team total in this format after being asked to bat first.

Skipper Mandhana led from the front after Uma Chetry was dismissed for a duck off Chinelle Henry’s bowling. The elegant southpaw stroked seven boundaries in a row, piling on 30 runs off Henry and then Deandra Dottin. Combining with Jemimah Rodrigues for a 98-run second wicket-partnership, Mandhana brought up her third consecutive T20I fifty off 27 balls.

Rodrigues looked in good rhythm before she was dismissed by Afy Fletcher for 39. After Mandhana’s dismissal for 77, Ghosh took over the carnage, scoring the joint-fastest fifty by a woman -- in 18 balls -- alongside Sophie Devine and Phoebe Litchfield. She stitched a 70-run partnership with all-rounder Raghavi Bist (31). Ghosh was dismissed on the penultimate delivery of the Indian innings but she had done enough to push India to a mammoth total.

Indian bowlers followed it up with an all-round show as Radha Yadav starred with 4/29. A 37-run partnership between Deandra Dottin (25) and captain Hayley Matthews (22) seemed to turn things in West Indies’ favour before the Indian bowlers chipped in with regular wickets.

Chinelle Henry threatened to take the game away with her clean striking during her 16-ball 43. She built a 34-run partnership with wicket-keeper batter Shermaine Campbell but the Indian bowlers held their nerves. Henry’s departure proved to be decisive as the lower-order could not pull it off leaving West Indies with 157/9 in reply.

This was India’s first series win in T20Is at home in five years. The last time they won was in October 2019 against South Africa.