India's women's team bounced back with a dominant 53-run win in the second ODI of the five-match series against the West Indies, powered by Punam's excellent 50 and a tight bowling effort. Coming off a heartbreaking 1-run loss in the first game, India defended their target of 192 with relative ease on Sunday. The innings started rocky, however, as India elected to bat first but quickly lost openers Jemimah and Priya, leaving them reeling at 17 runs.
Punam stepped up to rescue the side, partnering with Captain Mithali to steady the ship. Their 66-run partnership ended when Grimmond took Mithali's wicket via Afy Fletcher. Undeterred, Punam continued her onslaught with Harmanpreet, adding another 93 runs to the total before her dismissal in the 47th over.
Punam's aggressive approach in the final stages cost her her wicket, but not before she contributed a game-changing 77 runs, helping India reach 191/6 in their 50 overs. On the bowling front, Rajeshwari, Deepti, and Poonam were standout performers, each claiming two wickets and maintaining strict control. Veteran players Shikha and Jhulan Goswami chipped in with one wicket each to keep the pressure on. For the West Indies, Campbelle shared a 68-run partnership with Natasha but had to retire hurt on 15 runs.
Match Summary: India (191/6) defeated West Indies (138 all out) by 53 runs. Top scorers for India were Punam Raut (77) and Harmanpreet Kaur (46), while Afy Fletcher took 2/32. For the West Indies, Shemaine Campbelle scored 39 and Stafanie Taylor 20, with Deepti Sharma leading the bowling with 2/25.