India set New Zealand 325 from 44 overs: Women’s Cricket World Cup – live

4.59pm BST 14th over: New Zealand 73-3 (M Kerr 26, Halliday 4) Melie Kerr thumps Deepti Sharma’s first ball back over her head for four, then Halliday gets off the mark with a lovely straight drive for four, all along the ground. Might as well! 4.56pm BST 13th over: New Zealand 64-3 (M Kerr 21, Halliday 0) Just a single from Charani’s over. New Zealand threatened a fightback when Plimmer was going well, but this game is probably over now. 4.52pm BST 12th over: New Zealand 63-3 (M Kerr 20, Halliday 0) New Zealand need snookers, aka 262 from 192 balls. Updated at 4.55pm BST 4.50pm BST WICKET! New Zealand 59-3 (Devine b Thakur 6) Brilliant work from Renuka Singh Thakur, who bowls Sophie Devine through the gate with an immculate off-cutter. That’s a big wicket, one that almost certainly secures India’s semi-final place. 4.47pm BST 11th over: New Zealand 58-2 (M Kerr 19, Devine 6) A change of spinner: Sree Charana for Sneh Rana. Just three from the over. Updated at 4.47pm BST 4.43pm BST 10th over: New Zealand 55-2 (M Kerr 18, Devine 4) Sophie Devine clatters her second ball through the covers for four. Might as well! 4.41pm BST WICKET! New Zealand 51-2 (Plimmer b Thakur 30) A change of ends does the trick for Renuka Singh Thakur. Plimmer, who was looking dangerous, drags an inducker back onto the stumps to end a promising innings of 30 from 25 balls. Wickets are invaluable for India because they increase New Zealand’s DLS target should the game be rained off. 4.38pm BST 9th over: New Zealand 50-1 (Plimmer 30, M Kerr 17) Time for the offspin of Sneh Rana. Lovely batting from Georgia Plimmer, who skips down to swipe the second ball over wide long-on for six, then clips four behind square to the end the over. After scoring 6 from her first 13 balls, Plimmer has hit 24 from the last 10. 4.34pm BST 8th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Plimmer 19, M Kerr 14) Plimmer pulls Gaud emphatically for four to continue New Zealand’s mini-mini-mini-revival. There’s a chance of rain later on, it says here, so there’s a chance of a washout. If New Zealand bat for 20 overs we will have a positive result. Updated at 4.38pm BST 4.30pm BST 7th over: New Zealand 30-1 (Plimmer 14, M Kerr 13) Ghosh is going to continue, though she looks in a bit of pain. A misfield for Harmanpreet gives Kerr her first boundary, the third of the over. 4.26pm BST 6.3 overs: New Zealand 23-1 (Plimmer 14, M Kerr 8) Plimmer gets New Zealand moving with successive boundaries off Thakur. Richa Ghosh hurts her finger trying to stop a leg-side wide, leading to a break in play while she has it strapped. 4.21pm BST 6th over: New Zealand 14-1 (Plimmer 6, M Kerr 7) Kranti Gaud, who took one of the great return catches last week to dismiss South Africa’s Tazmin Brits, drops Georgia Plimmer off her own bowling. It was a tough chance, blasted back at her, and she couldn’t hang on as she reached to her right. I don’t think she’s just dropped the World Cup, mate. 4.17pm BST 5th over: New Zealand 11-1 (Plimmer 4, M Kerr 6) New Zealand just can’t get going. Thakur’s third over costs a single, just like the first two, and the required rate screeches above eight an over. 4.14pm BST 4th over: New Zealand 10-1 (Plimmer 4, M Kerr 5) Plimmer gets off the mark by cuffing her seventh ball whence it came for four. It was in the air but just wide of the bowler Gaud. But there are only five runs from the over in total; the required rate has risen to almost eight. 4.10pm BST 3rd over: New Zealand 5-1 (Plimmer 0, M Kerr 4) And again Thakur concedes only a single run. You never know in white-ball cricket, especially under lights, but this already feels like a done deal. 4.06pm BST 2nd over: New Zealand 4-1 (Plimmer 0, M Kerr 3) Melie Kerr is the new batter. Her partner, Georgia Plimmer, comes very close to dragging Gaur back onto the stumps. 4.03pm BST WICKET! New Zealand 1-1 (Bates c Pratika b Gaud 1) New Zealand’s task just got a whole lot tougher. Suzie Bates walks down the track to Kranti Gaud and top-edges a pull towards point, where Pratika Rawal takes a comfortable catch. 4.01pm BST 1st over: New Zealand 1-0 (Bates 1, Plimmer 0) An excellent start from Thakur, who concedes just a single from her first over. New Zealand’s required rate is already up to 7.54 per over. 3.57pm BST Renuka Singh Thakur will open the bowling to Suzie Bates. Let’s play! Updated at 3.57pm BST 3.55pm BST The players are coming onto the field. The night sky is clear and New Zealand’s target has been revised to 325 from 44 overs. WIth that, good luck. 3.34pm BST “I lived in Bombay (can never bring myself to call it Mumbai) for 15 years and people elsewhere do not understand the rains in Bombay,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Once it starts, it’s like someone forgot to close the tap. A no result is more likely leaving India a must-win in the final match against Bangladesh.” 3.33pm BST It’s raining again. It’s not too heavy, though, and the players are practicing on the outfield. 3.30pm BST Pratika Rawal’s 122 made her the joint-fastest woman to reach 1000 runs in ODIs, equalling the record set by the great Lindsay Reeler. She died last year, aged just 63. If you don’t know her story, please read this interview with the ABC’s Duncan Huntsdale in 2022. 3.26pm BST New Zealand need 341 to win 49th over: India 340-3 (Jemimah 76, Ghosh 4) Richa Ghosh edges her first and final ball for four. This is India’s highest score at a World Cup, beating the 330 they made against Australia earlier in the tournament. That wasn’t enough; this, surely, will be. 3.24pm BST WICKET! India 336-3 (Harmanpreet c Carson b Mair 10) After Jemimah Rodrigues is dropped for four at long-off by Maddy Green, a tough but takeable chance, Harmanpreet Kaur is well caught at backward point by Eden Carson. One ball remaining. Updated at 3.24pm BST 3.19pm BST Here come the players. A reminder that it’s now a 49-over game, so India have precisely six balls remaining in their innings. Rosemary Mair will bowl them. Updated at 3.20pm BST 3.02pm BST Thanks Tanya, hello everyone. That’s how to respond to adversity, eh: India, facing potential humiliation at their own World Cup, have batted magnificently to reach 329 for 2 from 48 overs. The game isn’t done, but it’ll need an innings for the ages for New Zealand to win. 3.00pm BST Time for me to handover to Rob Smyth, who will guide you through the one remaining over of India’s innings and then New Zealand’s chase. Bye! 2.57pm BST Restart now due at 3.20pm BST Rain permitting. The covers are being unpeeled. 2.45pm BST The rain has returned You’ve got time to make some sandwiches. 2.36pm BST Game reduced to 49 overs a side - restart at 2.50pm BST So 15 minutes more of mopping up, an over, a ten minute break, then New Zealand’s innings. 2.28pm BST The rain has stopped And the umpires are chatting to the captains. Seems we will get a resumption of sorts at some point soon. 2.16pm BST Reports from the ground tend towards deluge rather than shower. Should this game be washed out, the fourth semi-final place will go down to the wire – with India having to play Bangladesh here in Mumbai and New Zealand playing England in Visakhapatnam. Both on Sunday. Updated at 2.48pm BST 1.56pm BST The rain seems to be coming down pretty hard in Mumbai, I think we’ll be off for a while. Time for me grab a quick coffee. 1.52pm BST Rain stops play - India 329-2 off 48 overs 48th over: India 329-2 (Jemimah 69, Kaur 10) Suzie Bates with the wiles and wisdom that a long career brings. Just six from it, and at the end of the over, the umpires usher the players off and the crowdstaff get to work with their huge dark blue covers. 1.48pm BST 47th over: India 322-2 (Jemimah 66, Kaur 8) A good over from Mair – and possibly a missed chance by the keeper off the first as Rodrigues tries a ramp – until Kaur leans into one too wide and sends it clattering for four. And it is starting to rain… 1.43pm BST 46th over: India 315-2 (Jemimah 64, Kaur 2) Jemimah gets some treatment at the start of the over – maybe for cramp? The physios look concerned but she’s fed a banana and water and is ready to go. Carson gets the treatment. Four: reversed with gumption. Four: flayed with extravagant bat twirl and elongated stretch. Four more: cut behind square. Updated at 1.45pm BST 1.38pm BST Fifty for Rodrigues! 45th over: India 302-2 (Jemimah 51, Kaur 2) M Kerr gives the ball air – Jemimah can’t make the most of the first one, but leans into the second, sending it smooching through cover for four to bring up fifty. She raises her bat high in the air like a periscope to the strains of Despacito. A promotion up the order with wheels. Updated at 1.39pm BST 1.33pm BST 44th over: India 292-2 (Jemimah 45, Kaur 1) Two new batters now, can New Zealand tighten the stable doors? Five runs picked from the over. Six left – can India get close to 350? 1.31pm BST WICKET! Pratika c Rowe (sub) b M Kerr 122 (India 288-2) 43rd over: India 288-2 (Jemimah 41, Kaur 0) Time for one last glorious six from Pratika, down the ground, bisecting the Mumbai air, before she falls to a wonderful catch by the diving Rowe, making amends at long off, going for one more. 1.25pm BST 42nd over: India 279-1 (Pratika 115, Jemimah 39) Bates again, as evening falls in Mumbai. She directs the field with pointed finger and firm hand. But all the reployment doesn’t help – Jemimah slams one past extra cover, and another pancaked past long on. 1.23pm BST 41st over: India 266-1 (Pratika 114, Jemimah 27) Twelve from Jess Kerr’s over – four singles – impressive stamina by Pratika – and two successive free-flowing fours from Rodrigues. 1.20pm BST 40th over: India 254-1 (Pratika 112, Jemimah 17) An over of near misses for bowler Susie Bates. First Pratika picks out Green at long off, who gets into position but drops the ball before slipping onto her backside. Then New Zealand review an lbw against Rodrigues, but ball has brushed glove. Updated at 1.21pm BST 1.14pm BST A hundred for Pratika Rawal! 39th over: India 247-1 (Pratika 107, Jemimah 15) With a single sliding behing point, there’s the second hundred of the innings, a coolly crafted one by Pratika. A standing ovation from the spectators, a hug from Jemimah. Later in the over she celebrates by lofting Mair with sizzling wrists over wide long on for six more. 1.08pm BST 38th over: India 238-1 (Pratika 99, Jemimah 14) Just three singles off the wiley Bates. 1.05pm BST 37th over: India 235-1 (Pratika 97, Jemimah 13) Three singles off Kerr’s first five balls, then a paddle-sweep from Rodrigues brings the boundary. The physio comes on field to examine Pratika’s wrist. Updated at 1.07pm BST 1.00pm BST 36th over: India 228-1 (Pratika 95, Jemimah 8) Sophie Devine with her sixth over. Two fours from it – Pratika weaves one through extra cover, Jemimah too, appassionato. 12.56pm BST 35th over: India 218-1 (Pratika 90, Jemimah 3) Jemimah is pushed up the order to make merry from that outstanding base. Five easy runs from Melie Kerr’s over. 12.54pm BST 34th over: India 213-1 (Pratika 87, Jemimah 1) Well done Susie Bates – still got it even in her first spell of the World Cup. The highest stand of the tournament comes to an end – glorious stuff from Smriti. 12.50pm BST WICKET! Smriti c Rowe (sub) b Bates 109 (India 212-1) At last! A slog sweep flies high towards the lights, comes down to earth just in front of the rope where Rowe fluffs her first attempt but catches the rebound with her wrists and to huge relief. The end of a wonderful innings. Updated at 12.50pm BST 12.48pm BST 33rd over: India 211-0 (Pratika 86, Smriti 109) Pratika helps a limping ball from Kerr down to the rope before Smriti tonks a full toss, a waist high full toss for six. The free hit just brings a single. 12.45pm BST 32nd over: India 195-0 (Pratika 79, Smriti 101) A long break for drinks again. Just three single from Bates’ over. Every single New Zealand can make India run, will exhaust them more. 12.36pm BST 100 for Smriti Mandhana! 31st over: India 192-0 (Pratika 77, Smriti 100) And with a single comes India’s first hundred of the tournament, a fabulous display of hitting from Smriti – her 14th ODI century. She lifts both helmet and bat and smiles that glorious smile. In the dugout a keyboard of blue stands to applaud. 12.32pm BST 30th over: India 188-0 (Pratika 75, Smriti 98) Devine calls up her trusty war horse Suzie Bates to have a go. Now even the immaculate fielding is starting to wilt as Smriti slots four between two immobile bodies. 12.29pm BST 29th over: India 181-0 (Pratika 75, Smriti 91) Smriti grabs a handful of salt and scrubs it into the raw wound. A one-kneed six cracked up and into the night, the next, also on one knee, swept down to the rope. Kerr ia unimpressed. Updated at 12.29pm BST 12.25pm BST 28th over: India 170-0 (Pratika 75, Smriti 80) Tahuhu continues to feel the heat as Pratika flays her past point and a sprawling fielder for one four, past midwicket for another. 12.22pm BST 27th over: India 161-0 (Pratika 66, Smriti 79) New Zealand break through! – no, they don’t. Smriti looks stone-dead lbw to Milie Kerr but but choses to review Sue’s raised finger, because why not, and DRS finds a slither of an inside edge. The news surprises Smriti, already walking off, as much as it does Kerr, who shrugs her shoulders in disbelief. 12.16pm BST 26th over: India 155-0 (Pratika 64, Smriti 76) Smriti crouches down by her stumps – the humidity is starting to tell here – the boundary fielders constantly sipping from drinks. Tahuhu returns and starts her second spell with a wide. Then Pratika parries one angled into her pads with a wristy steer for four. 12.11pm BST 25th over: India 147-0 (Pratika 58, Smriti 75) At half way, New Zealand are yet to take a wicket and India are steaming across the ocean and far away. Pratika with the dancing feet this time, four lofted over mid on. More quick drinks. 12.08pm BST 24thover: India 140-0 (Pratika 52, Smriti 74) Another Smriti four, as she leans back and caresses the ball away. Devine tries to stem the flow with a short ball but it drifts leg side for a wide. 12.05pm BST Ffity for Pratika 23rd over: India 132-0 (Pratika 50, Smriti 69) Smriti opens her eyes wide and, twinkling of toe, pulls Mair across the grass and over the rope. A nipped single brings Pratika her second fifty of the World Cup and the over finishes with four more for Smriti, a wayward delivery nudged past the keeper. 11.59am BST 22nd over: India 121-0 (Pratika 48, Smriti 60) Pratika contemplates a scoop, but changes her mind at the last second, grounded to the crease. Just three singles from Devine’s over. 11.56am BST 21st over: India 118-0 (Pratika 46, Smriti 59) Mair returns to try and break this dangerous partnership. No cigar, but no boundaries either. The ground is alive with the Mexican wave. And a stat for you: Smriti and Pratika have the most runs by an opening pair in ODIs since 2024. 11.52am BST 20th over: India 113-0 (Pratika 43, Smriti 58) A run rate of four from the first ten overs became 7.5 from overs ten to 20. Eight off Carson’s fourth over, including a four from Smriti, inelegant by her standards, but does the job. Updated at 11.53am BST 11.49am BST 19th over: India 107-0 (Pratika 42, Smriti 52) Jess Kerr starts her over with a no ball but the free hit brings naught as Pratika finds the cover fielder. A sharp bit of fielding by Halliday in the ring cuts off a boundary. Five singles 11.45am BST Fifty for Smriti Mandhana! 18th over: India 102-0 (Pratika 40, Smriti 50) Smriti brings up the century partnership by lofting Carson for four – eggs over easy, one bounce before clearing long on boundary. A couple more brings fifty, making her the second highest run-scorer this World Cup behind Healy. 11.41am BST 17th over: India 94-0 (Pratika 38, Smriti 44) Ice towels and sun umbrellas bring temporary relief. Jess Kerr resumes, Smriti threads four between third and backward point like the expert seamstress she is. 11.34am BST 16th over: India 86-0 (Pratika 36, Smriti 38) Kerr tosses the first ball of the over up and SMriti strolls down the pitch and pings her for six over deep mid wicket. Four more from a Pratika square drive that whistles exquisitely over the rope ahead of the despairing sweeper. DRINKS, and India have wrestled control. Updated at 11.39am BST 11.28am BST 15th over: India 74-0 (Pratika 31, Smriti 31) Devine cuts her losses and replaces the expensive Tahuhu with Jess Kerr, whose first two overs went for three. The ploy works immediately, with just three singles run. Updated at 11.29am BST 11.25am BST 14th over: India 71-0 (Pratika 28, Smriti 27) Steady from Kerr, but India milk five singles from it. Updated at 11.29am BST 11.23am BST 13th over: India 67-0 (Pratika 28, Smriti 27) Pratika has decided Tahuhu must go. After the second ball flies off the pad and down to the rope, she pulls out a short-arm jab over wide long on, then a glorious front-foot lofted drive with pose held for all of Mumbai to appreciate, for four more. 11.19am BST 12th over: India 53-0 (Pratika 20, Smriti 25) ICC woman’s cricketer of the year 20204 Melie Kerr is whistled into the action. A single and two leg byes from her first over. 11.17am BST 11th over: India 50-0 (Pratika 20, Smriti 24) Another bowling change, Tahuhu starts with a wide and follows up with a wide three balls later. And another slips past Smriti’s off stump. Tahuhu curls her lip as she walks back. A delivery drifts widish of Pratika’s off stump , who promptly tucks cuts her for four. New Zealand’s change bowlers have not managed to capitalise on the miserliness of the opening pair. 11.09am BST 10th over: India 40-0 (Pratika 15, Smriti 22) Pratika flays four like a chef presented with some rotten vegetables, pulling Devine over midwicket. But four dots complete the over and at the end of the power play, India’s run-rate is a grudingly respectable four an over. 11.05am BST 9th over: India 35-0 (Pratika 11, Smriti 21) Ignore me, as Smriti shimmies down the pitch with twinkling boots and lofts Carson over long off and for six. Gorgeous shot which pleases as on-edge crowd. 11.02am BST 8th over: India 28-0 (Pratika 11, Smriti 14) Smriti starts the over by slashing a juicy pie from Devine past backward point for four. Just one more run though, so India hardly steaming along . 10.59am BST 7th over: India 23-0 (Pratika 11, Smriti 9) The first over of spin, with the fresh-faced Eden Carson, black towel tucked into her waistband. Smriti sweeps the first-ball loosener down to the rope. But the ring successfully prevent any more boundaries. 10.56am BST 6th over: India 18-0 (Pratika 11, Smriti 4) Devine brings herself into the attack and Smriti rushes her first ball, sending the ball flying just past a airborne point. Dab-dab, we return to the singles game. 10.53am BST 5th over: India 15-0 (Pratika 10, Smriti 2) A boundary at last, as Mair sends down a half volley and Pratika flicks her away off her ankles and down to the rope. And another! A greedy step forward and angled over cover. The engine is running. Updated at 10.54am BST 10.49am BST 4th over: India 6-0 (Pratika 2, Smriti 1) Lots of empty seats at the moment, but on TMS Steve Finn says that spectators are gathering in the shaded areas to shelter from the sun – it’s 3.15 in the afternoon in Mumbai. A couple of singles off Kerr’s second over, and then an out of character wide. India cannot pierce New Zealand’s fielders waiting in a tight ring. 10.43am BST 3rd over: India 3-0 (Pratika 1, Smriti 0) The crowd are chomping for boundaries, but New Zealand’s bowlers are not complying. More stinginess from Mair, nibbling the ball both way and giving India nothing. Jut a single. 10.38am BST 2nd over: India 2-0 (Pratika 0, Smriti 0) Jess Kerr at the other end, neat lengths, Smriti, watchful, taps the ball back. An excellent maiden. 10.36am BST Play! 1st over: India 2-0 (Pratika 0, Smriti 0) Rosemary Mair, hair scraped back, earrings dancing, starts with an outswinger that Pratika lets go safely by. And so it continues for much of the over, with two leg byes from the last ball. 10.30am BST India have limped to this stage, on the back of three losses. But here they are, and they must turn things around today. After the anthems, New Zealand huddle for a giant high five, Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal trot to the middle. 10.23am BST Hot, hot, hot It’s 35 degrees at the DY Patil stadium, and a humidity level in the 50s means that sweat won’t evaporate very effectively. It’s going to be tough out there. 10.19am BST I think Sophie Devine summed up the situation pretty well pre-match: “I can’t imagine the a type pf pressure that India feel, a billion people tuned into the TV screens. I’ve got real empathy for them, for us it’s a really exciting challenge, playing India, in India, in a World Cup, these are the moments that you want to be playing cricket.” 10.19am BST India bring in Rodrigues India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani. Mumbai’s Rodrigues replaces Amanjot Kaur, but still no extra bowler. 10.19am BST New Zealand unchanged New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (capt), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Eden Carson, Lea Tahuhu. 10.19am BST Harmanpreet looks calm in the storm. “The pitch is looking good and we have a good opportunity with the extra batter to set a big total.We want to enjoy the moment and play good cricket.” 10.19am BST New Zealand win the toss and bowl Sophie Devine: “We don’t think the surface will change much and we just want a first crack with the ball. We haven’t played as much as we’d like but…we walk towards the pressure, playing India in India in a World Cup, it doesn’t get much bigger than that.” 10.19am BST Preamble Crunch. Match number 24 is the big one. India can qualify for their own tournament’s knock out stages if they win today. Rain-haunted New Zealand must win for a chance to make it to the semi-finals. Join us in Navi Mumbai – it should be a thriller, play starts at 10.30amBST. Updated at 10.24am BST