India, despite impressing with the ball, struggled with the bat and fell 62 runs short of the White Ferns’ 260-9.
Amy Satterthwaite and Amelia Kerr both hit half-centuries for New Zealand to set the flow with the bat and ensure that India’s decision to bowl first did not pay off.
Amy Satterthwaite led New Zealand’s charge, adding two vital fifty stands with Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green and a 49 run fifth-wicket partnership with Katey Martin.
New Zealand posted 51 for 1 in the powerplay, with just the loss of Suzie Bates. Sophie Devine’s wicket in the 11th over brought Satterthwaite to the crease.
A run-a-ball 67-run third-wicket stand between her and Amelia then helped the hosts trudge towards a big total before Amelia brought up her maiden World Cup fifty.
Satterthwaite’s brilliant 75 helped keep the run rate above four through the major part of her stay in the middle as India struggled to tighten the scoring areas against the left-hander.
Katey Martin then added 49 for the fifth wicket with Satterthwaite as the home team set an impressive 260 runs total.
India never threatened the target set by New Zealand. Dot-ball pressure-induced opener Smriti Mandhana’s early dismissal to Jess Kerr, and the fall of No. 3 Deepti Sharma then saw them post their lowest ODI powerplay total since the start of 2017 at 26 for 2.
With India needing 211 runs from 30 overs, Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur strung together a fourth-wicket 47 runs stand. India’s fightback was short-lived as Amelia Kerr derailed their chase with a double-wicket third over.
Harmanpreet Kaur managed to stay on the crease long enough to string a seventh-wicket 35 run stand with Jhulan Goswami that included most runs through boundaries. But the prospects of an improbable win for India were quashed when Amelia had Kaur caught at long-off before Hayley Jensen finished things off with a two-wicket 47th over with India at 198.
Lea Tahuhu finished with the figures of 10-2-17-3 for the hosts.
