A disciplined performance with the ball and on field pressure helped New Zealand outsmart India by 23 runs in the opening Twenty20 International match here on Wednesday.
When Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues added 58 runs in the Powerplay, India seemed well on course to chase down the target of 160.
But Kiwi pacer Lea Tahuhu (3/20), and spinners Leigh Kasperek (2/25) and Amelia Kerr (2/28) fought back, and with the fielders holding on to the chances they were offered, the hosts pulled off a stunning victory.
Hannah Rowe's catch off Mandhana proved to be the game-changer, as India collapsed from 102/1 to 136 all out after that. The middle order offered no resistance, and when captain Harmanpreet Kaur was stumped trying to charge down the ground, India's hopes disappeared.
Earlier, New Zealand's total had been set up by Sophie Devine. After the hosts were put in to bat, Devine led the charge in partnerships of 36 with debutant Caitlin Gurrey (15) and 69 with Amy Satterthwaite (33 off 27 balls).
For India, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav and Poonam Yadav scalped one wicket each.
With this victory, the hosts have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Brief scores: New Zealand: 159/4 (Sophie Devine 62; Deepti Sharma 1/19) against India: 136/10 (Smriti Mandhana 58; Lea Tahuhu 3/20)
--IANS
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