Mandhana, Rawal shine as India complete whitewash of Ireland

RAJKOT: India won the third ODI against Ireland by 304 runs after making a colossal total of 435 runs, thanks to a couple incredible performances from Pratika Rawal and skipper Smriti Mandhana.

India won by 304 runs in what was an incredibly dominant performance after putting up their largest ODI total ever.

India’s innings

India’s two openers, Rawal and Mandhana put on an outstanding opening stand of 233 runs off 160 deliveries. Mandhana scored 135 of those runs off the 80 deliveries she faced, hitting 12 fours and seven sixes in the process. She reached the hundred mark in only 70 deliveries, making it the fastest ton by an Indian in women’s cricket. Mandhana was finally dismissed in the 27th over, as Ireland took their first wicket of the match on a delivery from Orla Prendergast that Mandhana flicked to Ava Canning at short fine leg.

Richa Ghosh then joined the fray and managed to score 59 runs off 42 balls, hitting 10 fours and one six before she was bowled by Arlene Kelly. Rawal was sent off next, but not before she managed to make a tremendous 154 runs off 129 deliveries. She hit 20 fours and one six along the way, before finally being caught out by Georgina Dempsey on a delivery from Freya Sargent.

Ireland took two more wickets before the end of the match, as Tejal Hasabnis was caught out by Laura Delany on a delivery from Prendergast, and Harleen Deol was caught out by Prendergast on a delivery from Dempsey.

India ended with a total of 435 runs, the fourth highest total by a women’s team in ODIs. Ireland are also the victim of three of the other largest Women’s ODI totals in the top five. New Zealand are the perpetrators of each.

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Ireland’s Innings

With an all but insurmountable total staring them down, Ireland’s batters took to the field. And by the end of the fourth over, they had lost two wickets.

Skipper Gaby Lewis was sent off for an lbw in the third over on a delivery from Titas Sadhu that hit Lewis on the back pad as she missed with while attempted a pull. In the very next over, Christina Coulter Reilly was bowled by Sayali Satghare, as her delivery ricocheted of Reilly’s pad and onto the stumps.

Opener Sarah Forbes and Prendergast gave Ireland’s innings some stability, as the two made a partnership of 64 runs off 67 deliveries. Tanuja Kanwar put an end to it in the 15th over, getting her first wicket in ODIs on a delivery that struck the top of off stump after Prendergast missed with her swing.

Forbes was sent off herself not long after. She was run out in the 18th over on a delivery from Minnu Mani to Laura Delany. The ball was hit to mid-off where Deepti Sharma scooped it up and threw it to Richa who whipped off the bails before Forbes made it to the striker’s end.

Delany was dismissed herself in the 23rd over on a delivery from Deepti that got past the Irish player’s sweep attempt and splayed the stumps.

Ireland then lost three wickets in quick succession. Leah Paul was sent off in the 25th over after an incredible effort from Sharma as she both bowled the delivery and caught the ball after Paul hit it right back to her. Arlene Kelly fell in the next over. This time it was Kanwar taking her second wicket on a delivery that Kelly chopped to Satghare at mid-on.

Ireland continued to crumble in the next over. Georgina Dempsey was run out after failing to make a single run. Ava Canning tried to force a run, which resulted in her partner being sent off on a throw from Kanwar.

Ireland’s last two wickets fell in the 31st and 32nd over. Manu bowled Canning before catching a shot hit by Freya Sargent in the following over, on a delivery from Sharma.

India won by 304 runs, completing their whitewash of Ireland.

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