Mithali Raj makes unique record as India win

Derby: India beat hosts England by 35 runs on the opening day of the 2017 Women’s World Cup at Derby on Saturday.

India piled up an imposing 281/3 in their 50 overs thanks to fifties from Smriti Mandhana (90) and Punam Raut (86), who put on 144 for the first wicket, as well as 71 from skipper Mithali Raj.

Three-times champions England, who’ve won the previous two World Cups staged in their own country, rarely looked like chasing down the target before being bowled out for 246.

Earlier, Mandhana forged a 144-run opening-wicket stand with Poonam Raut (86 off 134) before skipper Mithali Raj (71 not-out) completed an unprecedented seventh consecutive half century in ODIs.

Raj had scored 62 not-out, 54, 51 not-out, 73 not-out, 64 and 70 not-out in her last six ODI innings.

England opted to field at the Country Ground with an aim to rattle the Indians with early wickets. However the openers Mandhana and Raut had their own plans as they batted for 26.5 overs.

While Raut was solid at the other end, Mandhana was out to attack from the word go.

The southpaw’s onslaught began when she smashed Katherine Brunt for four consecutive boundaries in the fourth over.

Scores: India 281/3 in 50 overs (Punam Raut 86, Smriti Mandhana 90, Mithali Raj 71) bt England 246 in 47.3 overs (Fran Wilson 81, Heather Knight 46, Deepti 3/47).