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Mandhana and Rawal’s tons fire India to record win
India Women 435 for 5in 50 overs (Pratika Rawal 154, Smriti Mandhana 135, Richa Ghosh 59, Tejal Hasbnis 29; Orla Prendergast 2-71) beat Ireland Women 131 in 31.4 overs (Sarah Forbes 41, Orla Prendergast 36; DeeptiSharma 3-27, Tanuja Kanwar 2-31)by 304 runs
On a record-shattering day in Rajkot, India registered their biggest win in ODI cricket. They beat Ireland by 304 runs in the third and final match of the series, thus completing the whitewash. Their previous biggest win was also against Ireland, in 2017, when they had beaten them by 249 runs in Potchefstroom.
Batting first, India piled up 435 for 5, their highest ODI total, going past the 370 for 5 they made in the previous game. Overall, this was the fourth-highest total in women’s ODIs.
Stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana led the way by smashing the fastest ODI hundred by an India batter. She reached the mark in 70 balls, breaking Harmanpreet Kaur’s record by 17 balls. In her 135 off 80 balls, Mandhana hit 12 fours and seven sixes. Her opening partner, Pratika Rawal, reached her maiden ODI hundred in 100 balls and went on to compile 154 off 129. Only two India batters have a higher individual score in the format: Deepti Sharma (188) and Harmanpreet (171*).
Mandhana and Rawal added 233 for the first wicket, the third-highest opening stand for India in ODIs. The floodgates had opened as early as the third over when Rawal hit Orla Prendergast for three fours. By the end of the sixth over, she had moved to 29 off 25 with the help of six fours.
Mandhana did not have much strike till then. She even got a life in the seventh over when wicketkeeper Christina Coulter Reilly, standing up to Arlene Kelly, failed to grab an outside edge. Mandhana was on 12 off 13 at that point but took over the aggressor’s role after that, hitting Kelly for two fours in that over. In the seamer’s next over, Mandhana hit her for two sixes and a four.
Mandhana and Rawal brought up India’s hundred in the 13th over. This was their fourth century stand in just six innings they have opened together.
Soon after that, Mandhana reached her fifty, off just 39 balls. Rawal followed suit; hers coming off 52 balls. It was her fourth 50-plus score in six ODIs.
Mandhana was now batting on a different plane. It felt more like a free-wheeling centre-wicket practice than a contest as she tried to dispatch as many balls to the boundary as possible. Ireland’s wayward bowling and poor ground fielding helped her further. Such was her dominance that she left Rawal well behind. When she brought up her hundred, off 70 balls, Rawal was only on 72 off 69.
Mandhana was dismissed when she failed to clear short fine leg against Prendergast. But there was no respite for Ireland as Richa Gosh, promoted to No. 3, took over the baton and scored 59 off 42. She and Rawal added 104 in 12 overs.
Rawal opened up after her hundred and raked in 54 off the next 29 balls she faced. Today’s innings took her ODI run tally to 444 – no batter has scored more in her first six innings.
By then, there was more interest in if India could reach 400. They got there with four overs to spare, and then got some more.
With Renuka Singh rested, Titas Sadhu and Sayali Satghare opened the bowling for India. Both picked up a wicket each with the new ball but also conceded 15 extras in the first seven overs. India’s fielding was also as poor as their counterparts, with Mandhana dropping a skier from Sarah Forbes off Deepti at extra cover.
Forbes and Prendergast made India pay for their mistakes and took the side to 85 for 2 after 14 overs. Tanuja Kanwar broke the 64-run stand by dismissing Prendergast. The batter tried to steer her towards deep third but failed to connect and was bowled. It was Kanwar’s first wicket in ODIs. Three overs later, Forbes was run out going for a quick single.
Ireland capitulated after that. From 100 for 3, they were all out for 131. Deepti was the most successful bowler for India, with figures of 3 for 27. Kanwar chipped in with 2 for 31 and two batters were run out.
Brief scores: