The 2000 Women's World Cup champions and the latest T20 World Cup champions New Zealand Women suffered a shocking defeat in their rain-marred warm-up game against India A Women before the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. 

After New Zealand Women chose to bat first, they were losing wickets at regular intervals, as they managed to score 273/9 in 50 overs, thanks to late batting performances, especially Isabella Gaze's unbeaten century. In reply, India A Women chased down the 224-run revised target in 39.3 overs after losing six wickets, while they had to chase it in 40 overs. India A Women won the dramatic rain-marred game by four wickets with three balls remaining in the DLS method.  

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Shafali Verma slammed 70 off 49 balls

In chase, although the opener Dinesh Vrinda was dismissed for a duck after a stormy 31-run opening partnership in just 20 balls, Shafali Verma played a fiery knock of 70 off just 49 balls with 11 fours and one six. Although India A Women were once struggling at 121/6, the unbeaten seventh wicket partnership of 105 runs helped the side to snatch a shocking win. While captain Minnu Mani scored 39 not out off 53 balls with three fours and one six, wicketkeeper-batter Madiwala Mamatha scored 56 not out off 60 balls with six fours and one six. The second innings was interrupted twice due to rain, and India A Women got the revised target, which they managed to chase successfully with three balls in hand. 

Isabella Gaze rescued New Zealand Women with her century

New Zealand Women were losing at regular intervals as the top-order batters scored only 10, 6, and 1 runs, respectively. Captain Sophie Devine (34), Brooke Halliday (22), and Maddy Green (30) failed to convert their respective starts. Isabella Gaze and Jase Kerr had a crucial 90-run partnership for the eighth wicket after the White Ferns were once struggling at 146/7. While Kerr scored a run-a-ball 36, Gaze scored 101 not out off 100 balls with 15 fours and one six. 

Among the India A bowlers, Sayali Satghare got three wickets as she had the bowling figures of 9-0-45-3, while all the other six bowlers got one wicket each. 

After losing the T20 series in the Australia tour by 3-0, India A Women have secured the one-day series by winning the second game of the three-match series, as the thrilling dramatic final-over victory by two wickets has put India A Women in an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. 

After winning the first one-day game by three wickets with 48 balls remaining, India A Women lost the toss in the second game, while Australia A Women chose to bat first. The hosts scored 265/9 in 50 overs, while the visitors chased down the target in 49.5 overs after losing eight wickets. 

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Alyssa Healy scored 91 in the first innings

In the first innings, opener Alyssa Healy had an important role with her 91 off 87 balls with eight fours and three sixes. In the lower order, Kim Garth played a superb innings of 41 not out from 45 balls with four fours. 

Among the Indian bowlers, Minnu Mani bagged three wickets (3/46), and Saima Thakor picked up two wickets (2/30), while four other bowlers got one wicket each.

Opener Yastika Bhatia and late batters set stunning win

In reply, India A Women were once struggling at 83/4. However, the half-centuries of opener Yastika Bhatia, middle-order batter and captain Radha Yadav, and the lower order batter Tanjua Kanwar, and a valuable 32 not out by Prema Rawat snatched the game from the hosts. Yastika and Radha had a crucial 68-run partnership for the fifth wicket. While the opener scored 66 off 71 balls with nine fours, captain Radha scored 60 off 78 balls with five fours and one six. When the skipper was dismissed, India A were struggling at 193/7. 

Tanjua and Prema had another brilliant 68-run partnership for the eighth wicket. While Tanuja scored 50 off 57 balls with three fours before her dismissal on the first ball of the final over, Prema finished the game with a match-winning single on the penultimate delivery of the 50th over, where she scored 32 not out off 33 balls with three fours.