In the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, a confident and young Indian team outplayed New Zealand women’s team to register a 34-run win. The match was played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Batting first, India lost three early wickets in the form of Smriti Mandhana, Taniya Bhatia and Dayalan Hemalatha in the power play after scoring just 40 runs. However, a breathtaking century from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and a 50 from young Jemimah Rodrigues took India to 194 for a loss of five wickets in 20 overs.

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Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur added 134 runs for the fourth wicket — which is also India’s highest partnership for any wicket in World T20 — and snatched the game away from White Ferns.

Harmanpreet Kaur got the @WorldT20 off to a RAPID start with a sensational display of hitting in Guyana. Here are her biggest and best shots, delivered by @Oppo #FlashCharge. pic.twitter.com/KOSrNbDGOJ

— ICC (@ICC) November 10, 2018

Following the mammoth total of 195 runs, New Zealand opener Suzie Bates and Anna Peterson gave Blackcaps a flying start by adding 52 runs in 6.3 overs. However, after Dayalan Hemalatha broke the partnership, New Zealand never looked in contention as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Although it wasn’t the @WHITE_FERNS‘ day, @Jensen_Hayley provided an early @WorldT20 highlight with this athletic catch on the boundary to dismiss Smriti Mandhana #WT20 pic.twitter.com/tXRdzPtfGM

— ICC (@ICC) November 9, 2018

Here are the five talking points from the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup:

Harmanpreet Kaur’s master class

A new day, a new World Cup, and once again cricket lovers across the globe witnessed Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s masterclass batting as she hammered White Ferns in the inaugural match of Women’s World T20 2018. On Friday, when Harmanpreet Kaur walked to bat at number five, many Indian fans would have remembered the Moga girl’s 171 runs against the mighty Australians in the semifinals of Women’s World Cup 2017.

Such was her confidence that Harmanpreet was standing outside the crease against spin bowling on Friday. Though she started her innings a tad slow, scoring just 5 runs in first 13 bowls, she did not look back after that as she completed her 50 off 33 balls and reached the mark of three digits in just 49 balls.

Harmanpreet Kaur has also become the first Indian player to score a century in a T20 World cup and the third overall player to achieve this feat.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting:

First 13 balls – 5 runs,

Next 20 balls – 45 runs,

Next 16 balls- 51 runs.

History created in Guyana with @ImHarmanpreet becoming the first Indian woman to blast a T20I century, putting her nation in position for a first-up win at the @WorldT20.

Follow here ➡️ https://t.co/a3tZXV2vZA#WT20 #WatchThis 👀 pic.twitter.com/NFvasTOXGP

— ICC (@ICC) November 9, 2018

Jemimah Rodrigues

The 18-year-old played a mature innings for the Women-in-Blue after the team had lost three early wickets in the powerplay. While Harmanpreet Kaur was rattling Blackcaps players, Jemimah Rodrigues was giving her skipper the much-needed support from the other end of the crease.

On Friday, Jemimah Rodrigues scored her maiden World Cup fifty and in the process became the youngest Indian player to achieve this feat. Jemimah has also become the fifth youngest player in women cricket to register a fifty in WT20.

Suzie Bates’s lone battle

Though New Zealand was losing wickets on regular interval against Women-in Blue, former Blackcaps skipper kept the slim hope to win the match for her team alive.

On Friday, as India thrashed New Zealand by 34 runs, Suzie Bates fought a lone battle. Bates scored 67 runs off balls with a strike rate of 134. She lost her wicket to Arundhati Reddy in the 14th over while trying to escalate the White Ferns innings. During her innings, Bates scored eight boundaries.

First DRS

The Decision Review System (DRS) is being used in a T20 World Cup for the first time. In the first match of the WWT20, DRS was only used once by Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, and they lost it.

However, during India’s innings, there were two chances when New Zealand team could have used the DRS. In the opening overs, Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored 59 runs, and elegant opener Smriti Mandhana would have been given out if the White Ferns had decided to go for a review. They did not, and it cost them the match.

In the first 10 balls of the opening WWT20, two players were shown out in the replay but were not given out because the opposition team decided not to go for a review — call it bad umpiring or not enough knowledge among players about DRS.

The message from Women-in-Blue

In the opening match of the WWT20, the Women-in-Blue showed their intent was to bring the World Cup home.

The India bench applaud a fantastic century from captain @ImHarmanpreet! 👏 👏 👏#NZvIND #WT20 pic.twitter.com/E0ee6ZvcQ8

— ICC World Twenty20 (@WorldT20) November 9, 2018

On Friday, the highest run-getter in Women’s ODI, Mithali Raj, and explosive batswoman Veda Krishnamurthy were pushed down the order to give youngsters a chance to play freely. Even skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came to bat at number five and Jemimah Rodrigues along with debutante Dayalan Hemalatha were promoted up in the order ahead of the captain.

The decision to change India’s batting line-up was taken to give a depth to the Women-in-Blue’s batting. The message from the Indian dressing room was quite loud and clear for youngsters to go and play some explosive cricket.