Charismatic India cricketer Smriti Mandhana said on Wednesday her record-breaking onslaught on the Irish bowlers was planned but despite her team’s clean sweep, there is still lot of scope for improvement in both fielding and running between wickets. The India skipper was at the forefront of several records being smashed as the hosts won by a massive 304 runs to claim their biggest-ever ODI win and complete a 3-0 clean sweep in the series. Mandhana, herself scored the fastest WODI hundred by an Indian woman, off just 70 balls.

The result of the match was a mere formality once India set Ireland a mammoth target of 436, and Ireland could only garner 131 before getting bundled out in 31.4 overs.

Mandhana cracked 135 off just 80 balls and her opening partner Pratika Rawal scored 154 as India achieved the highest total ever by an Indian team — men’s or women’s — in ODIs.

“It (onslaught) was planned. I was just thinking not many matches you can go out and attack. So, I thought of trying a few shots. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. Today it did,” said Mandhana after the match.

“I am really pleased that all the girls got game time. The 100s and the 50s from the batters have been great. Really happy for Jemi (Rodrigues), Harleen (Deol), Pratika (Rawal), Richa (Ghosh).” She added that a lot more needs to be done in order to be ready for the ODI World Cup at home in August-September.

“There are so many things. As much as we want to enjoy this victory, we want to sit down and be in the loop for the World Cup. We need to work on our fielding and running between the wickets.

“In 50 over cricket, 300 balls, these two things will be critical. If we are good in these two departments, we can do something special,” added Mandhana, who has been simply superb with the bat so far this season.

Mandhana termed the victory almost clinical.

“The bowlers executed what was planned. Except for my drop catch, it was a near-perfect game. Winning the toss, going to bat and getting 400-plus was great. The way Richa and Pratika batted was great. That the bowlers finished it off in the 31st over, was superb.” Young Pratika, who was adjudged ‘player of the match’ said, as she was approaching her maiden century mark she was only thinking about when she would kiss her helmet.

“I just had the celebration in my mind when I would kiss the helmet, and I was visualizing that. I just wanted to do that.” Pratika has flourished with Mandhana at the top of the order in the six ODIs she has played after getting the India cap and the youngster said she revels in the senior batter’s company.

“It looks so easy when she bats. I don’t mind taking a back seat when she bats. It is a treat,” said the Delhi cricketer, who has scored 444 runs in the six ODIs this season at an average of 74.

Women’s team head coach Amol Muzumdar said that the batting gave him a lot of confidence ahead of the World Cup.

“We had back-to-back series, West Indies and Ireland. It has been a well-fought series and plenty of positives. The batting looks settled. We would love to have another fast bowler.” He said that India had not gone into the match with a 400-plus target in mind.

“No, not all. We don’t set targets. We go as per the flow of the game. It has been fantastic to see some records set in these last 12 months. Pretty satisfying, but at the same time we continue the process.” He said that Pratika had come in as a “breath of fresh air”.

“Top of the order with Smriti. Calm, composed and she looks settled at international level. Hope she continues.”

Indian women’s cricket team opener Pratika Rawal lit up Rajkot with a scintillating century in the third and final ODI against Ireland on Wednesday. Playing her sixth ODI, Pratika slammed a maiden international century and made 154 from 129 balls. She reached a run-a-ball hundred before shifting gears with authority. Pratika added 233-run for the opening stand with stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana (135), who scored her 10th ODI century, came off just 70 deliveries. The pair’s exploits saw India amass 435 for five, their highest-ever total in the 50-over format. 

Who is Pratika Rawal?

Pratika was born in Delhi on 1 September 2000. She plays her domestic cricket for Railways. Her father, Pradeep Rawal, isx a BCCI-certified Level-II umpire of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA).

She completed her schooling at Modern School at Barakhamba Road and acquired 92.5 per cent in the CBSE board exams, before finishing her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jesus & Mary College, New Delhi.

Apart from cricket, Pratika also played basketball for Bal Bharati School in Rajender Nagar, winning a gold medal at the 64th School National Games in Delhi in January 2019.

She first trained at Rohtak Road Gymkhana Cricket Academy, under the mentorship of coach Sharvan Kumar. She made her international debut last month during the home series against West Indies.

On her debut, she scored 40 runs and shared a 110-run stand with Mandhana. She took her maiden ODI wicket, also in the same match, dismissing West Indies skipper Hailey Matthews.

Pratika represented Delhi from 2021 to 2024, before switching her allegiance to Railways. 

After reaching her maiden century, Pratika said that her strong connect with her subject and love for cricket have helped in her journey to the India team.

“I wanted to study about that (human mind) and when I started studying about it, I was very keen on understanding how we mentally process (things) on the field and off the field. And, it has helped me a lot in cricket as well,” said the Delhi cricketer in a video titled ‘Pratika Rawal: Psychology meets Cricket’ posted by BCCI on ‘X’.

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.