Innings Ireland 238 for 7 (Lewis 92, Paul 59, Mishra 2-56) vs India
Prendergast was stumped after being lulled into a drive, while Delany was foxed by a wrong’un that spun past her inside edge to crash into the stumps. But with the game seemingly in their clutches, India let the advantage slip because of their poor fielding and some wayward bowling.
They dropped four catches in all. Lewis was the first to be reprieved on 59 when Richa Ghosh bailed out of a catch to stop a healthy edge with her boot. Then Paul was let off in back-to-back overs, off Titas Sadhu at deep midwicket and by Mishra off her own bowling, after the batter had crossed her seventh ODI half-century.
Then with Ireland looking for end-overs acceleration, Harleen Deol reprieved Arlene Kelly at extra cover. Ireland eventually managed to last the entire 50 overs, which should count as a mini-victory of sorts given only two players – Lewis and Delany – had prior experience of having played in India.
The first ball that beat the bat was in the fifth over, and off the next delivery India had their first breakthrough when Sarah Forbes nicked Titas Sadhu to Deepti Sharma at a wide first slip. Una Raymond-Hoey got underway with a delightful square drive but was run out attempting a non-existent single to extra cover.
Lewis kept punching, quick to pounce on anything short as she raised Ireland’s 50 in the 13th over with a fierce front-of-square pull off Saima Thakor. Prendergast too looked to take the attack to spinners but was out one ball after lofting Mishra down the ground.
The slew of wickets didn’t dissuade Lewis from counterpunching. She reverse-swept Mishra for back-to-back fours in the 16th over. Then when Deepti came on, she wasn’t afraid to move around the crease and kept picking her off with fine paddles every time she fired them full into the pads.
Lewis benefited from having a busy Paul at the other end. Like Lewis, Paul was superb in throwing the spinners off their lengths. Where Lewis was happy to use the pace to sweep or reverse-sweep, Paul forced the pace square of the wicket, cutting and pulling very well. She brought up her half-century off 58 deliveries in the 34th over as Ireland looked set to cross the 250-run mark.
But Paul’s run-out – she attempted a run to mid-off only to be sent back – left them 173 for 5 in the 39th. This period also coincided with Lewis cramping up, having little strength in her forearms. As she approached her maiden ODI ton, she slowed down considerably, before she spooned a simple return catch to Deepti for 92.
Cameos from Kelly and Christina Coulter Reilly helped Ireland pick up some crucial runs in the death overs, before Satghare sent back Kelly lbw for her maiden ODI wicket in front of her elated family. India will look back at their effort with mixed emotions – while a young pace attack with a combined experience of 13 ODIs had a good workout, they’d be disappointed at their fielding and catching to let the visitors post way more than they should have.
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
