Pakistan vs New Zealand LIVE Telecast, ICC Women’s T20WorldCup2024 LIVE Streaming© AFP

A major controversy erupted during India’s match against New Zealand in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 on Friday. NZ batter Amelia Kerr played the final delivery of the 14th over to long-off and went for a single. However, while Harmanpreet at long-off thought that the ball was dead, Kerr decided to go for a second run and was actually run out before completing the double. However, by that time, the umpire had already given the cap back to Deepti Sharma and signalled the end of play. While India appealed for a run out and even Kerr made her way back to the dugout, the umpires decided that the ball was dead and as a result, the run out was not valid.

Harmanpreet was left fuming by the decision and she was caught on camera having an animated chat with the umpires before play was ultimately resumed.

OUT or NOT OUT

Animated Harmanpreet Kaur Spotted

#INDvsNZ #WomenInBlue #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/QJVYKG6ZIE

— Sports In Veins (@sportsinveins) October 4, 2024

Sophie Devine’s years of experience came in handy as her power-packed half-century was the most significant contribution in New Zealand’s challenging 160 for 4.

On a sticky track where stroke-making was difficult, Devine (57 not out off 36 balls) muscled her way with seven boundaries as most Indian bowlers sans Deepti Sharma (0/45 in 4 overs) used the tackiness of the track to good effect for the better part of the innings.

BIG CONTROVERSY IN INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND MATCH!

– Shocking umpiring decision! Amelia Kerr tried to steal a second run and was brilliantly run out by Harmanpreet Kaur, but the umpires called it a dead ball!The crowd and Team India are not happy with this call. #INDvNZ… pic.twitter.com/96ISEpfkZj

— Lalit Mohan (@Lalityadav8532) October 4, 2024

The Devine-Brooke Halliday (16 off 12 balls) stand of 46 runs in just 4.2 overs took the White Ferns to an above-par score if one takes the pitch into consideration.

Devine, who dropped herself in the batting order, displayed excellent footwork to dismantle the length bowled by Indian bowlers with the standout shot being a bent on knee cover-drive off Shreyanka Patil to complete her fifty.

One thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was poor ground fielding from India save Jemimah Rodrigues, who was brilliant as usual in the deep.

Veteran Suzie Bates (27 off 24 balls) and young Georgia Plimmer (34 off 23 balls) rode their luck and some shoddy fielding from India to race to 55 at the end of the Powerplay. The slowness of the track forced both openers to come down the track and take the aerial route on occasion with Plimmer depositing Deepti into the long-on stand in her very first over.

Renuka Singh’s misfield that cost India a boundary and Richa Ghosh bungling a skier to give Bates a reprieve off Arundhati Reddy’s (1/28 in 4 overs) bowling only compounded the team’s woes.

However once leg-spinner Asha Sobhana (1/22 in 4 overs) started operating just after Powerplay, she immediately put brakes on the scoring rate and with Reddy taking the pace off her deliveries from the other end, India were back in the game removing the openers in a space of three deliveries.

(With PTI inputs)

India vs New Zealand LIVE: Squads –

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia (subject to fitness), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan. Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor. Non-Travelling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.