3rd ODI: India Women Need To Resolve Batting Vulnerabilities To Seal Series Against New Zealand

India will be hoping to resolve their batting brittleness in their quest to win the third and final women's ODI and seal the series against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. It was clear from the first match, which the hosts won by 59 runs through a fine effort by the bowlers, that India's batting is not in top shape, and the second one-dayer underscored that reality. India's batting went a notch down on Friday as they were bundled out for 183 while chasing 260.

It was a tough target indeed, but not improbable in nature as Indian batters succumbed to spot-on White Ferns bowlers and to their own indiscretions.

It required a record ninth-wicket stand of 70 runs between Radha Yadav and Saima Thakor to add a touch of respectability to India's run chase.

Even the overall picture is not a rosy one, as Indian batters are yet to score an individual fifty across two matches.

Radha's 48 in the second ODI is the highest individual score from India's side during this series, and the home team will require a drastic turnaround in the final match.

For that, India's power troika upfront -- openers Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur -- will have to fire in unison.

It can have a ripple effect in a strong-on-paper middle-order consisting of Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Tejal Hasabnis.

Mandhana's form continues to be a bit of concern as she hardly looked a pale shadow of her customary gracefully dominant batter.

She is yet to reach two-figure score against New Zealand, and a series decider could be a perfect occasion for her to rewrite the script.

On the other hand, Indian bowlers continued their good effort despite conceding 259 in the previous match.

At one stage, the visitors were 87 for no loss in 14