NEW DELHI: Pratika Rawal and Tejal Hasabnis struck impressive half-centuries as India beat Ireland by six wickets in the first Women’s ODI in Rajkot on Friday.
Rawal played a mature innings, scoring a career-best 89 runs off 96 balls, including 10 fours and a six, anchoring the chase of 239 runs.
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Hasabnis, returning to ODI cricket after a break, marked her comeback with an unbeaten 53 off just 46 balls that included nine boundaries.
Together, Rawal and Hasabnis formed a crucial 116-run partnership that secured India’s win with 93 balls remaining.
India’s stand-in captain, Smriti Mandhana, set the stage for victory with a quickfire 41 off 29 balls. Her aggressive innings featured six fours and a six.
Mandhana’s performance made her the second Indian woman and the 15th overall to score more than 4,000 ODI runs. Her attacking style put pressure on the Irish bowlers from the start.
Rawal, who made her debut in the recent West Indies series, provided solid support to Mandhana.
The opening pair recorded their third fifty-plus partnership in just four matches, maintaining a steady run rate for India.
Harleen Deol and Jemimah Rodrigues made starts, but Ireland’s left-arm spinner, Aimee Maguire, briefly slowed India’s progress. Maguire cleverly dismissed Rodrigues with a stumping, taking advantage of the batter’s adventurous footwork.
India lost three wickets for 46 runs during this period, but Mandhana’s earlier onslaught had given them a significant advantage.
Ireland’s inexperience showed as they struggled to capitalize on this opportunity, conceding 21 runs in extras.
Earlier in the day, Ireland, choosing to bat first, reached a respectable total of 238 for 7, thanks largely to Gaby Lewis’s impressive 92.
Ireland were struggling at 56 for 4 in the 14th over, but Lewis and Leah Paul combined for a 117-run partnership, rescuing their team’s innings. Lewis’s innings comprised 129 balls and included 15 boundaries.
India’s fielding was subpar, with several dropped catches and misfields, which Lewis and Paul capitalized on to stabilize the Irish innings. Their partnership was the first century stand for Ireland against India.
Titas Sadhu provided the initial breakthrough for India. Sarah Forbes edged a delivery to Deepti Sharma in the slips.
Ireland soon found themselves at 34 for 2 after a miscommunication led to Una Raymond-Hoey’s run-out.
Orla Prendergast became Priya Mishra’s first victim, stumped by Ghosh, leaving Ireland at 56 for 3 in the 14th over.
Despite the early setbacks, Lewis and Paul constructed a crucial partnership. Their combined efforts helped Ireland post a challenging total, though India ultimately chased it down comfortably.
.jpeg "Smriti Mandhana did a big feat in ODI cricket, became the biggest name in India after Mithali Raj")