India Women vs New Zealand Women Highlights, 1st ODI: India beat New Zealand by 59 runs

Molly Penfold to Shafali Verma, Full in length, on the pads, Verma flicks it over the in-field for a single on the bounce at deep mid-wicket.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, Good length ball on the middle and off, Bhatia flicks it off the back foot to mid-wicket for one.

Change? Nope, Molly Penfold to continue.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, FOUR MORE! 17 runs off it! An expensive one by Jess Kerr. Short in length again, jagging back in from the surface, Shafali Verma swats it with her wrists, and along the ground to beat the chasing fielder at deep mid-wicket for a boundary. Shafali Verma is looking in a good nick as she has timed the ball pretty well so far.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, FOUR! SHOT! Nipping back in on the pads, on a short of a good length, Shafali Verma swivels and pulls it neatly through deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Straight on the stumps, on a fuller length, Shafali Verma pushes it firmly to mid off.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Back of a length ball angling down the leg, Verma turns it away towards short fine.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, SIX! BOOM! Clean as a whistle! Jess Kerr rolls her fingers on the leather and takes on the pace off, lands it on a good length, around off, Shafali Verma brings her bat with a horizontal angle, and cleanly lofts it over the bowler's head for a cracking six.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Fuller-length delivery around off, Verma gets ahead and pushes it towards mid on. Uh, oh! Jess Kerr has overstepped here and it is called a NO BALL. Free Hit to follow.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Jess bowls a shorter one, jagging back in over the middle, Shafali Verma pulls it over the in-field and the ball dribbles towards the fence. Georgia Plimmer from deep mid-wicket motors to her right. She lunges and sticks her right hand out and perfectly pats the ball back inside the playing area before stepping over the ropes. The replay too, confirms about the same. Excellent piece of athleticism by Plimmer. Saves a certain boundary and keeps it to just a couple.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, Penfold bowls it into the channel of uncertainty, on fourth stump, and angles it away from the southpaw. Yastika Bhatia hangs her bat away from the body without any footwork and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, Good-length delivery at around 106 kph, on middle, Yastika Bhatia gets behind the line and punches it onto the pitch.

Molly Penfold to Shafali Verma, This one slightly nips back in, on a length, around off, Shafali Verma pulls it off the back foot to the deep mid-wicket region for a single.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, Length, outside off, punched away to deep cover for a single.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, EDGED AND FOUR! Fortuitous boundary for Yastika Bhatia! Molly Penfold hits the hard length, slants it across off, Yastika Bhatia just hangs her bat away from the body to slash it away, goes hard at the shot but ends up getting nicked on the outside edge. The ball flies between the keeper and the third slip for a boundary.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, Overpitched on the stumps, Yastika clears her front leg and punches it straight to mid off.

Molly Penfold to Yastika Bhatia, WIDE! Angling down leg, on a length, Yastika Bhatia misses to flick it away and the keeper collects it sharply. Wided.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, FOUR! Gee, a beautiful shot that! Jess Kerr pitches it up, around off, a genuine half-volley on offer. Shafali Verma prods ahead, gets on the top of the ball and drives it through the gap between mid off and cover for a boundary to end the over.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Length ball on off, clipped towards the leg side by Verma.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, FOUR! Nice shot! Pitched up, full and straight on the stumps, Shafali Verma walks a couple of steps ahead, gets her bat underneath the ball and lifts it nicely over mid on for a cracking boundary.

Jess Kerr to Yastika Bhatia, Yastika gets off the mark. Fuller outside off, this is driven through cover for a single.

Jess Kerr to Yastika Bhatia, On the length, outside off, cut away straight to cover-point.

Yastika Bhatia is in at number 3.

Jess Kerr to Smriti Mandhana, OUT! TAKEN! A soft dismissal and New Zealand Women have their first wicket already! Jess Kerr bowls it from over the stumps at a gentle pace, hits the back of a length, just around off. It arrives a bit late onto the batter from the surface. Smriti Mandhana transfers the weight on the back foot and looks to cut it through backward point, but is a bit too early into the shot and just ends up chipping it in the air towards Georgia Plimmer stationed at point who doesn't move an inch and takes a simple catch. India Women lose their skipper very early into the game and all smiles around for the Kiwis.

Molly Penfold to Shafali Verma, Caught in two minds there, Shafali! Good comeback by Molly! Back of a length, over the top of off, jagging back in a touch, Shafali Verma is caught off guard whether to play on the front foot or commit the shot on the back foot as she looks to play it across, but misses.

Molly Penfold to Shafali Verma, FOUR! First boundary of the match and the series! Molly Penfold offers just a tinge of width, around off, nipping away, Shafali Verma presses forward, hits through the line of the ball and drives it crisply through covers for a boundary.

Molly Penfold to Shafali Verma, At a gentle pace, on full and leg, at 105.4 kph, Shafali Verma is early on her flick shot, and plays over the line, and wears on the thigh pad.

Molly Penfold to Smriti Mandhana, Outside off, on a good length, Smriti rocks back and cuts through cover-point for an easy single.

Molly Penfold to Smriti Mandhana, WIDE! She will have to reload that one again! Down the leg stump line, on a fuller length, Mandhana misses out to flick it away and the keeper collects it behind the wickets. The umpire stretches arms and signals for a Wide.

Molly Penfold to Smriti Mandhana, Attacks the pegs, on the back of a length, on off, Smriti Mandhana gets behind the line and punches it solidly off the back foot to the mid off region.

Molly Penfold to Smriti Mandhana, Starts off with a short-pitched delivery on the leg stump line, Smriti Mandhana hangs back and pulls it to deep square leg where the fielder out in the deep Georgia Plimmer cuts the ball off with a good slide. Keeps it to two.

Who bowls the second over? Pace from the other end as well. Molly Penfold to share the attack.

Jess Kerr to Smriti Mandhana, On the back of a length, outside off, Mandhana stands tall on the back foot and cuts it past point for a single to end the first over. India Women are 4/0.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Straight on the stumps on a fuller length, Shafali leans on and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, Full and on the stumps, jammed back to the bowler by Shafali.

Jess Kerr to Smriti Mandhana, A bit outside off, Mandhana goes back and across as he pushes it through covers for a single to get off the mark.

Jess Kerr to Smriti Mandhana, Good-length delivery on the middle and off, Mandhana hangs back and cuts it towards cover.

Jess Kerr to Shafali Verma, India Women and Shafali Verma are underway with a slight hesitation! Kerr shapes the ball into the batter on the fuller length, angling on middle and leg, Verma prods ahead and flicks it wide of mid on where the fielder scoots and dives to her right and intercepts the ball. She is quick to get up and throw to the keeper's end. Mandhana wants the second on the fumble but is ball-watching and not her partner who sends her back on a sharp call and she retreats back in time. They settle for just a single in the end.

Done and dusted with the pre-match formalities and it is now time for the action to begin at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium of Ahmedabad. Fair to say, the sun is scorching out there and we have got a fair bit of crowd on a Thursday afternoon. The two umpires walk out to the middle, and the players of New Zealand Women too, take their respective fielding positions after a brief huddle talk. Out come the two Indian openers - the stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana will be partnered by Shafali Verma. Looks like a beautiful batting track with the average first inning score being 207 here. And it will be Jess Kerr to begin the proceedings with the ball for the Kiwis. Shafali to face the first delivery. And, here we go...

Well then, just a few moments before the commencement of this series opener. But before that, the two set of players are lined up for their respective national anthems. It will be New Zealand's first, followed by the Indian national anthem.

New Zealand Women (Playing XI) - Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Melie Kerr, Sophie Devine (C), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze (WK), Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Eden Carson.

India Women (Playing XI) - Smriti Mandhana (C), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Dayalan Hemalatha, Jemimah Rodrigues, Tejal Hasabnis (ON ODI DEBUT), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Saima Thakor (ON ODI DEBUT), Renuka Singh Thakur.

TOSS - India Women have won the toss and will BAT first. Smriti Mandhana will lead India as Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested due to a slight niggle.