ICC Women's Championship, India vs West Indies: Rajeshwari, Ekta script easy win for India girls

HYDERABAD: Indian women started their campaign in the ICC Women's Championship with a six-wicket win over the West Indies in Vijayawada on Thursday.Left-arm spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Ekta Bisht spun a web around the Windies batsmen and skittled them out for a paltry 131. Rajeshwari returned figures of four for 21 and Ekta claimed three for 14.The Indian women had few problems reaching the target as skipper Mithali Raj and Veda Krishnamurthy added 97 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to take the hosts to 133 for four with 9.5 overs to spare. Mithali was unbeaten on 46 (91b, 6x4) and Veda was on 52 (70b, 4x4, 6x2).Brief scores: West Indies 131 in 42.4 overs (Hayley Matthews 24, Merissa Aguilleira 42 no; Rajeshwari Gayakwad 421, Ekta Bisht 3 14) lost to India 133 for four in 39.1 overs (Mithali Raj 46 no, Veda Krishnamurthy 52 no).GUPTILL DROPPED FOR PAKISTAN TESTS:Struggling opening batsman Martin Guptill is among five players to be dropped from the New Zealand cricket team for the two-Test home series against Pakistan beginning at Christchurch next week. Guptill was among the batsmen who under-performed on the recent tour to India, where it was white-washed in a three-Test series.Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, Jeet Raval, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling.