Pooja Vastrakar and Harmanpreet Kaur's fiesty performances were overshadowed by the batters' insipid display as India succumbed to 62-run loss to New Zealand in the ICC women's World Cup here on Thursday.
Vastrakar's 4/34 helped India restrict New Zealand to 260 for 9 after skipper Mithali Raj opted to field. However, India was unable to stitch a much-needed partnership as the batters crumbled under the pressure of an ever-increasing run-rate to be bowled out for 198.
Kaur (71) was the lone warrior for India with the bat. Earlier, spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/46) and Deepti Sharma (1/52) claimed three wickets between them while veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami (1/41), who became the joint highest wicket-taker in women's World Cups, accounted for one batter. For New Zealand, Amy Satterthwaite (75) and Amelia Kerr (50) scored half-centuries.
Brief Scores: New Zealand: 260 for 9 in 50 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 75, Amelia Kerr 50; Pooja Vastrakar 4/34) India: 198 all out in 46.4 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 71, Mithali Raj 31; Lea Tahuhu 3/17, Amelia Kerr 3/56).