With an easy victory over Ireland Women in the opening game, India Women got off to a great start in their three-match ODI series. India already leads 1-0 after this victory, and they will be keen to keep up their momentum in the next two games.

Early Struggles for Ireland Women

Initially, Ireland Women struggled with the bat. They lost early wickets and were reduced to 56/4. However, Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul steadied the ship for Ireland, forming an important partnership. As a result, their stand of over 100 runs allowed Ireland to post a respectable total, despite the early setbacks.

India Women Respond with Confidence

In response, India Women got off to a strong start, with captain Smriti Mandhana leading the way. Mandhana’s aggressive batting gave India the necessary momentum. Once she was dismissed, Pratika Rawal and Tejal Hasabnis took charge. Together, they built a brilliant partnership of more than 100 runs, ensuring India reached the target comfortably with over 15 overs to spare.

Player of the Match

Pratika Rawal’s performance earned her the Player of the Match award. Reflecting on her innings, she shared, “I am comfortable here. It helps a lot, always enjoy watching Mandhana from the other end. It eases me down. Being a student of Psychology also helps to stay calm. We were just trying to keep it simple. We had a good start, and we just had to carry on the momentum. At the end, Tejal also played really well. We all played well, in fact.”

Tejal Hasabnis Shares Her Thoughts

Tejal Hasabnis was equally pleased with her contribution. She stated, “I feel great, happy that I contributed to the team’s win. That means more than the fifty. My game plan was simple. I love chasing. I rotated the strike initially and scored boundaries when the ball was in the slot. The free-hit I hit through covers gave me confidence. That was my favourite shot in this innings.”

Smriti Mandhana’s Leadership

India Women’s captain, Smriti Mandhana, praised her team’s overall performance. She mentioned, “To bowl on these wickets, the bowlers did a good job. We need to get better at fielding. I am really happy for our batters. Tejal finished off well. We had good conversations over the last few days, knowing your bowlers is really important. Executing the slower ones was important. It was a perfect day for us. We should have restricted them to 180. Going forward, we have to execute our plans well. Matches are won by the things we do behind the scenes. We need to stick to our routine and do all the right things.”

Ireland Women’s Positives

Despite the loss, Ireland’s captain, Gaby Lewis, focused on the positives. She said, “I am feeling good, feeling much better. Don’t think we batted to our best ability, but we focused on the positives. I am delighted with how we stuck in there and created a good partnership (with Leah Paul). Coming from Bangladesh, the wickets were different. It’s all about adapting to the conditions. Our fielding and spinners were positive aspects of the game.”

Brief Scorecard

Ireland Women : 238/7 (50) Gaby Lewis 92(129), Leah Paul 59(73), Arlene Kelly 28(25); Priya Mishra 2/56(9), Deepti Sharma 1/41(10) India Women : 241/4 (34.3) Pratika Rawal 89(96), Tejal Hasabins 53*(46), Smriti Mandhana 41(29); Aimee Maguire 3/57(8), Freya Sargent 1/38(8) Player of the Match: Pratika Rawal Overall, India Women’s all-round performance led them to a well-deserved victory. Their bowlers did a great job in restricting Ireland’s total, and their batters chased down the target comfortably. With the 1-0 lead in the series, India will aim to maintain their strong form in the upcoming matches. On the other hand, Ireland will need to focus on improving their batting as they prepare for the next game. The series promises to be an exciting contest, with India looking to seal the series and Ireland hoping to level the score.