India cruised to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI of the three-match series at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara, on 23 October 2026, with captain Smriti Mandhana describing the match-winning partnership between Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma as a "masterclass." The World Champions chased down a target of 198 in just 27.1 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The Batting Masterclass

Pratika Rawal anchored the chase with a composed, unbeaten 100 off 96 balls, hitting 15 boundaries, while Shafali Verma provided the explosive counterpoint with an unbeaten 64 off just 34 deliveries, laced with five fours and four sixes. The pair took control after Mandhana's dismissal for 32 off 34 balls, ensuring India reached the target with nine wickets in hand.

"Yes, we can tidy up our fielding; a few catches went down our way, but otherwise, again Shafali and Pratika went about that chase, and it was a masterclass," Mandhana said at the post-match presentation.

Bowling Effort: Charani Leads the Way

Earlier, India's bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 197 in 49.5 overs. Spinner Shree Charani was the standout performer with figures of four for 23, while Kranti Gaud chipped in with three wickets. Vice-captain Deepti Sharma claimed two wickets and Shafali added one to her all-round contributions.

Mandhana singled out Charani and the discipline of the pace attack, saying: "Coming into a different ground, I think the bowlers adapted really well, especially Shree Charani — the standout bowler for us. Also the pacers, the way they bowled, Kranthi to mention — out of all the bowlers, they were pretty disciplined."

T20-to-ODI Transition: Finding the Gear Shift

India have played predominantly T20 cricket for the past seven months, and Mandhana acknowledged the shift back to 50-over cricket required recalibration. "We are playing fifty overs after a very long time. We have played T20 cricket for almost the last seven months, so definitely in the period between 20 and 35, I would say, we could have had more intensity on the field," she noted. The India captain flagged that fielding lapses during Zimbabwe's innings — including dropped catches — were an area to work on ahead of the second ODI.

Communication and Coaching Staff Credited

Mandhana credited clear communication between the T20 and ODI squads as a key factor in maintaining bowling cohesion. She specifically praised bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi for his hands-on role. "Good communication, knowing about, again, support staff — Aavishkar (Salvi) sir, not to mention, he's always with the bowlers, coordinates with them, then gets back to me with the plans. So he's really on it and makes my job easy," she said.

Looking Ahead to the Second ODI

With the series advantage secured, Mandhana indicated the squad would use the rest day to bond — particularly with newer squad members. "Hopefully a relaxed, chill day would be good because we have all played one-day cricket after a very long time. So yeah, we will hang out with each other, trying to get to know more about the players — because we have a lot of new players coming in and a lot of energy, especially Jintimani. I mean, she's just a ball of energy around the team," she said. India will look to seal the series when both sides meet in the second ODI.