Pratika Rawal showcased maturity beyond her experience, while Tejal Hasabnis capped a memorable comeback, posting a fifty each, as India outplayed an inexperienced Ireland by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women’s ODI series in Rajkot on Friday. Rawal anchored the modest run chase of 239 after stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana’s brisk 41, smashing 10 fours and one six for a career-best 89 (96 balls). Hasabnis, who last played an ODI against New Zealand in October 2024, struck her first fifty after her comeback, remaining unbeaten on 53 off 46 balls with the help of nine boundaries.
Rawal and Hasabnis put together a match-winning 116-run partnership from 84 balls with India winning the match with 93 balls to spare.
Carrying forward her dominant form from the West Indies series, Mandhana gave the team a fantastic start with a blistering 29-ball 41, studded with six fours and a six. In the process, she became the second Indian and 15th overall to surpass 4,000 ODI runs.
Mandhana unsettled the Irish bowlers with her attacking strokeplay on both sides of the wicket. Her aggression was particularly evident against seamer Dempsey in the eighth over, when she stepped out to hammer a boundary, followed by a six and another four.
Her rookie opening partner Rawal, who debuted in the preceding West Indies series, provided excellent support.
The duo shared their third fifty-plus opening stand in four matches, keeping the scoreboard ticking with ease.
However, Ireland managed a breakthrough right at the end of powerplay when Mandhana mistimed a slog sweep to mid-on, falling nine runs short of her fifty.
Harleen Deol (20) and Jemimah Rodrigues (9) looked in good touch initially, but clever bowling by left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire (3/57 from 8 overs) stalled India’s momentum temporarily.
The 18-year-old Maguire lured Jemimah into stepping out too far, resulting in a stumping when the batter was at least a foot outside her crease.
This phase saw India lose three wickets for 46 runs, but Mandhana’s explosive start ensured the team stayed well on par.
The inexperience of Ireland came to fore as they failed to seize the momentum, leaking 21 runs in extras.
Laura Delany was the weakest link in their bowling unit and she bowled successive no balls with two waist-high full tosses in the 24th over when Hasabnis cashed in on the opportunity to hit back-to-back fours from the two freebies.
Earlier, butter-fingered India let Ireland off the hook with their pathetic fielding as visiting skipper Gaby Lewis carved out a classy 92 to lift her team to a respectable 238 for 7.
Opting to bat, Ireland were in deep trouble at 56 for four in the 14th over, but Lewis and Leah Paul (59 off 73 balls) added 117 runs for the fifth wicket to steer their team to safety.
Lewis scored her runs in 129 balls, lacing the knock with 15 boundaries.
Aided by at least three clear dropped catches and a few misfields, the duo of Lewis and Paul went about their job in a calculated manner and brought a semblance of stability to the Ireland innings while putting together the team’s first-ever century partnership against India.
Medium pacer Titas Sadhu effected the first breakthrough for India when she induced an outside edge from Sarah Forbes (9) after the batter tried to play away from her body, and Deepti Sharma did the rest in the slip cordon.
Making their first visit to the country, Ireland were reduced to 34 for two thanks to a terrible mix-up that led to the run out of Una Raymond-Hoey (5), who attempted an inexplicable single despite hitting the ball straight to Jemimah Rodrigues at cover.
Orla Prendergast (9) was next to go as she was stumped by Ghosh off the bowling of leg-spinner Priya Mishra (2/56), leaving the visitors in a spot of bother at 56 for three in the 14th over.
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