Key events
Thanks Tanya, hello everyone. That’s how to respond to adversity, eh: India, facing potential humiliation at their own World Cup, have batted magnificently to reach 329 for 2 from 48 overs. The game isn’t done, but it’ll need an innings for the ages for New Zealand to win.
Time for me to handover to Rob Smyth, who will guide you through the one remaining over of India’s innings and then New Zealand’s chase. Bye!
Restart now due at 3.20pm BST
Rain permitting. The covers are being unpeeled.
The rain has returned
You’ve got time to make some sandwiches.
Game reduced to 49 overs a side – restart at 2.50pm BST
So 15 minutes more of mopping up, an over, a ten minute break, then New Zealand’s innings.
The rain has stopped
And the umpires are chatting to the captains. Seems we will get a resumption of sorts at some point soon.
Reports from the ground tend towards deluge rather than shower. Should this game be washed out, the fourth semi-final place will go down to the wire – with India having to play Bangladesh here in Mumbai and New Zealand playing England in Visakhapatnam. Both on Sunday.
The rain seems to be coming down pretty hard in Mumbai, I think we’ll be off for a while. Time for me grab a quick coffee.
Rain stops play – India 329-2 off 48 overs
48th over: India 329-2 (Jemimah 69, Kaur 10) Suzie Bates with the wiles and wisdom that a long career brings. Just six from it, and at the end of the over, the umpires usher the players off and the crowdstaff get to work with their huge dark blue covers.
47th over: India 322-2 (Jemimah 66, Kaur 8) A good over from Mair – and possibly a missed chance by the keeper off the first as Rodrigues tries a ramp – until Kaur leans into one too wide and sends it clattering for four. And it is starting to rain…
46th over: India 315-2 (Jemimah 64, Kaur 2) Jemimah gets some treatment at the start of the over – maybe for cramp? The physios look concerned but she’s fed a banana and water and is ready to go. Carson gets the treatment. Four: reversed with gumption. Four: flayed with extravagant bat twirl and elongated stretch. Four more: cut behind square.
Fifty for Rodrigues!
45th over: India 302-2 (Jemimah 51, Kaur 2) M Kerr gives the ball air – Jemimah can’t make the most of the first one, but leans into the second, sending it smooching through cover for four to bring up fifty. She raises her bat high in the air like a periscope to the strains of Despacito. A promotion up the order with wheels.
44th over: India 292-2 (Jemimah 45, Kaur 1) Two new batters now, can New Zealand tighten the stable doors? Five runs picked from the over. Six left – can India get close to 350?
WICKET! Pratika c Rowe (sub) b M Kerr 122 (India 288-2)
43rd over: India 288-2 (Jemimah 41, Kaur 0) Time for one last glorious six from Pratika, down the ground, bisecting the Mumbai air, before she falls to a wonderful catch by the diving Rowe, making amends at long off, going for one more.
42nd over: India 279-1 (Pratika 115, Jemimah 39) Bates again, as evening falls in Mumbai. She directs the field with pointed finger and firm hand. But all the reployment doesn’t help – Jemimah slams one past extra cover, and another pancaked past long on.
41st over: India 266-1 (Pratika 114, Jemimah 27) Twelve from Jess Kerr’s over – four singles – impressive stamina by Pratika – and two successive free-flowing fours from Rodrigues.
40th over: India 254-1 (Pratika 112, Jemimah 17) An over of near misses for bowler Susie Bates. First Pratika picks out Green at long off, who gets into position but drops the ball before slipping onto her backside. Then New Zealand review an lbw against Rodrigues, but ball has brushed glove.
A hundred for Pratika Rawal!
39th over: India 247-1 (Pratika 107, Jemimah 15) With a single sliding behing point, there’s the second hundred of the innings, a coolly crafted one by Pratika. A standing ovation from the spectators, a hug from Jemimah. Later in the over she celebrates by lofting Mair with sizzling wrists over wide long on for six more.
38th over: India 238-1 (Pratika 99, Jemimah 14) Just three singles off the wiley Bates.
37th over: India 235-1 (Pratika 97, Jemimah 13) Three singles off Kerr’s first five balls, then a paddle-sweep from Rodrigues brings the boundary. The physio comes on field to examine Pratika’s wrist.
36th over: India 228-1 (Pratika 95, Jemimah 8) Sophie Devine with her sixth over. Two fours from it – Pratika weaves one through extra cover, Jemimah too, appassionato.
35th over: India 218-1 (Pratika 90, Jemimah 3) Jemimah is pushed up the order to make merry from that outstanding base. Five easy runs from Melie Kerr’s over.
34th over: India 213-1 (Pratika 87, Jemimah 1) Well done Susie Bates – still got it even in her first spell of the World Cup. The highest stand of the tournament comes to an end – glorious stuff from Smriti.
WICKET! Smriti c Rowe (sub) b Bates 109 (India 212-1)
At last! A slog sweep flies high towards the lights, comes down to earth just in front of the rope where Rowe fluffs her first attempt but catches the rebound with her wrists and to huge relief. The end of a wonderful innings.
33rd over: India 211-0 (Pratika 86, Smriti 109) Pratika helps a limping ball from Kerr down to the rope before Smriti tonks a full toss, a waist high full toss for six. The free hit just brings a single.
32nd over: India 195-0 (Pratika 79, Smriti 101) A long break for drinks again. Just three single from Bates’ over. Every single New Zealand can make India run, will exhaust them more.
100 for Smriti Mandhana!
31st over: India 192-0 (Pratika 77, Smriti 100) And with a single comes India’s first hundred of the tournament, a fabulous display of hitting from Smriti – her 14th ODI century. She lifts both helmet and bat and smiles that glorious smile. In the dugout a keyboard of blue stands to applaud.
30th over: India 188-0 (Pratika 75, Smriti 98) Devine calls up her trusty war horse Suzie Bates to have a go. Now even the immaculate fielding is starting to wilt as Smriti slots four between two immobile bodies.
29th over: India 181-0 (Pratika 75, Smriti 91) Smriti grabs a handful of salt and scrubs it into the raw wound. A one-kneed six cracked up and into the night, the next, also on one knee, swept down to the rope. Kerr ia unimpressed.
28th over: India 170-0 (Pratika 75, Smriti 80) Tahuhu continues to feel the heat as Pratika flays her past point and a sprawling fielder for one four, past midwicket for another.
27th over: India 161-0 (Pratika 66, Smriti 79) New Zealand break through! – no, they don’t. Smriti looks stone-dead lbw to Milie Kerr but but choses to review Sue’s raised finger, because why not, and DRS finds a slither of an inside edge. The news surprises Smriti, already walking off, as much as it does Kerr, who shrugs her shoulders in disbelief.
26th over: India 155-0 (Pratika 64, Smriti 76) Smriti crouches down by her stumps – the humidity is starting to tell here – the boundary fielders constantly sipping from drinks. Tahuhu returns and starts her second spell with a wide. Then Pratika parries one angled into her pads with a wristy steer for four.
25th over: India 147-0 (Pratika 58, Smriti 75) At half way, New Zealand are yet to take a wicket and India are steaming across the ocean and far away. Pratika with the dancing feet this time, four lofted over mid on. More quick drinks.
24thover: India 140-0 (Pratika 52, Smriti 74) Another Smriti four, as she leans back and caresses the ball away. Devine tries to stem the flow with a short ball but it drifts leg side for a wide.
Ffity for Pratika
23rd over: India 132-0 (Pratika 50, Smriti 69) Smriti opens her eyes wide and, twinkling of toe, pulls Mair across the grass and over the rope. A nipped single brings Pratika her second fifty of the World Cup and the over finishes with four more for Smriti, a wayward delivery nudged past the keeper.
