1st ODI: Captain Mandhana Makes History in India Women's Six-Wicket Victory Over Ireland Women

Rajkot, Jan 10 (NationPress) Exceptional batting from the top order enabled India Women to secure a six-wicket victory over Ireland Women in the first of three One-day Internationals held at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday. Pratika Rawal (89) alongside Tejal Hasabnis (53 not out) established a formidable 116-run partnership, leading India to a total of 241/4 and allowing the home team to surpass Ireland's score of 238/7 in 50 overs, clinching the match with 93 balls remaining.

It was a momentous occasion for captain Smriti Mandhana as she became the fastest Indian batter and the third fastest overall to achieve the 4,000-run milestone in women’s cricket, reaching this landmark in just 95 matches.

After winning the toss, Ireland decided to bat first. Openers Sarah Forbes (9) and Gaby Lewis (92) aimed for a solid foundation, but Forbes was dismissed by Titas Sadhu in the fifth over. Sadhu's delivery had good bounce and was wide of off-stump, leading Forbes to edge the ball to slip while attempting a drive.

While Lewis anchored the innings from one end, the wickets of Una Raymond-Hoey (5), Orla Prendergast (9), and Laura Delany (0) fell rapidly, leaving the visitors in a precarious position at 56/4. However, Leah Paul (59) formed a crucial 117-run partnership with her captain.

This partnership was broken when Lewis was caught short of her crease in the 39th over after failing to respond to Paul's call, ending her innings in a disappointing manner. Deepti Sharma ended Lewis’ innings, marking her as the leading run-scorer in Ireland Women's ODI history when she was caught and bowled in the 44th over.

Contributions from Christina Coulter Reilly (15 not out) and Arlene Kelly (28) helped Ireland finish at 238/7 after 50 overs.

India began their chase aggressively, with Smriti (41) and Pratika launching into the innings before Smriti was dismissed in the 10th over. The partnerships of Harleen Deol (20) and Jemimah Rodrigues (9) were less impactful, leaving India at 119/3. However, Tejal and Rawal shifted the momentum decisively in India's favor.

Pratika was dismissed just seven runs shy of the target, but Richa Ghosh (8 not out) sealed the victory with two boundaries off her first two balls.

"I feel at ease while playing! It significantly helps to have Mandhana in the team. I enjoy watching from the other end; it calms me down. We focused on maintaining our momentum after a strong start. Ultimately, Tejal played exceptionally well. I'm just sticking to my game plan, taking it one match at a time. When the ball is in my area, I aim for boundaries; otherwise, I look for singles," said Rawal after being awarded Player of the Match.

Brief scores:

Ireland-W 238/7 in 50 overs (Gaby Lewis 92, Leah Paul 59; Priya Mishra 2-56) lost to India-W 241/4 in 34.3 overs (Pratika Rawal 89, Tejal Hasabnis 53 not out, Smriti Mandhana 41; Aimee Maguire 3-57) by six wickets.