India vs Ireland
In this match, the visiting team, who won the toss and batted first, scored 238 runs for seven wickets in 50 overs. For them, captain Gaby Lewis scored 92 and Lee Paul scored 59 runs. In reply, India scored 241 runs for four wickets in 34.3 overs and won the match.
The Indian women’s team defeated Ireland by six wickets in the first ODI. With this win, India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. In this match played at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Friday, the visiting team, who won the toss and batted first, scored 238 runs for seven wickets in 50 overs.
For them, captain Gaby Lewis scored 92 and Lee Paul scored 59 runs. In reply, India scored 241 runs for four wickets in 34.3 overs and won the match. Pratika Rawal performed best for India. She played a strong innings of 89 runs and led the team to victory. Apart from this, Tejal Hasabnis played an important role by playing an unbeaten innings of 53 runs.
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Smriti Mandhana (41 runs) continued her excellent form in the West Indies series and scored runs rapidly. During this, she became the second Indian and 15th player overall to complete 4,000 runs in ODIs. Mandhana hit shots on both sides of the wicket against the Ireland bowlers and Pratika, who made her debut in the West Indies series, supported her well. Both of them made their third half-century partnership in four matches while opening the innings. However, Ireland gave India the first blow by dismissing Mandhana at the end of the powerplay. Mandhana could not time the slog sweep at mid-on and missed her half-century by nine runs.
Harleen Deol (20) and Jemima Rodrigues (09) looked in good form initially but fell prey to Ireland’s left-arm spinner Amy Maguire. In this way, India lost three wickets for 46 runs. But Mandhana’s aggressive innings kept the team in a good position. Ireland’s 18-year-old Maguire took three wickets for 57 runs in eight overs. However, Ireland’s lack of experience proved detrimental to them as the team lost 21 runs from extras.
Delaney was the weak link in their bowling unit who bowled two consecutive no-balls in the 24th over and Tejal hit consecutive fours on these two occasions. Earlier, Ireland took advantage of the poor fielding of the Indian team and scored a respectable score of 238 runs for seven wickets with the help of captain Gabby Lewis’s brilliant innings of 92 runs and her 117-run partnership with Leah Paul (59 runs).
Winning the toss and batting, Ireland’s team was in trouble after losing four wickets for 56 runs in the 14th over, but with the help of a century partnership for the fifth wicket between Lewis (129 balls, 15 fours) and Leah, the team managed to score a good score. Taking advantage of three dropped catches and some poor fielding, the pair of Louise and Leah made the team’s first-century partnership against India.
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India’s medium pacer Titas Sadhu got the first breakthrough when she had Sarah Forbes (09) caught by Deepti Sharma in the slip cordon. Ireland, which is making its first tour of India, had lost two wickets for 34 runs after Una Raymond Hoey (05) was run out. Orla Prendergast (09) was the next player to get out, who wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh stumped off leg-spinner Priya Mishra and the score became 56 for three in the 14th over.
After this, Priya dismissed Laura Delany with a beautiful googly on the very next ball and their fourth wicket fell on this score. The visiting team needed a good partnership and its hope was fulfilled as soon as Leah came to the crease. Both made a century partnership. But Deepti ended Louise’s innings.
This bowler caught her on his ball. Before getting out, Lewis was suffering from a strain in her arm muscles. Arlene Kelly again played a useful innings of 28 runs in 25 balls. Earlier, India made all-rounder Sayali Satghare’s debut in ODIs. The host team has rested regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and fast bowler Renuka Thakur in the three-match series, due to which senior opener Smriti Mandhana is leading the team.
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