Cricket: White Ferns demolished by India in first one-dayer

White Ferns' Hannah Rowe in action while batting. Photo / Photosport

It turns out the Black Caps aren't the only New Zealand international side unable to perform at McLean Park.

The White Ferns followed in the footsteps of their male counterparts in Napier this afternoon, being totally outplayed in a nine-wicket thumping by India in the first of three one-dayers.

After a week in which the White Ferns rightfully pushed for greater parity with men's cricket off the field, India made sure to dish out equal treatment on the field, in a contest with plenty of similarities to the one held a day before it.

New Zealand couldn't set a competitive score, being tied down and failing to produce enough significant partnerships in their total of 192. Slow bowlers had their fun, taking eight wickets, and after Kuldeep Yadav took four Black Caps wickets, this time it was another Yadav – Poonam – who dismantled the White Ferns' top order, with three key scalps.

New Zealand's Bernadine Bezuidenhout is stumped by Taniya Bhatia. Photo / Photosport

It all seemed a little familiar, and sure enough, much like on Wednesday, India had no problems chasing down the meagre total, with Smriti Mandhana (105) and Jemimah Rodrigues (81 not out) seeing them home with 17 overs to spare.

It wasn't a complete disaster for the White Ferns, who did show a bit of fight with the bat. Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates added 61 for the first wicket, and at 119-3 with 20 overs to go, they could have reached a defendable tally.

However, nobody could pass 36, and all of India's specialist bowlers were economical as well, keeping the lid on potentially dangerous hitters, with Amelia Kerr (28 off 60 balls) being particularly tied down by the spinners. They also claimed wickets at regular intervals, with New Zealand's innings cut short with eight balls remaining, at 192.

Hope lingered for the hosts over whether the conditions could lead to India struggling to accumulate as well, but the rising stars of Rodrigues, just 18 years old, and Mandhana, 22, rapidly dispatched that notion, reaching 75-0 within 12 overs.

The New Zealand bowlers had no answers, and in a rare difference from yesterday, there was no sunstrike to prolong their suffering. The match ended on a wide, a fitting finale as the White Ferns capped off one of their heavier defeats in recent times.