IND-W vs IRE-W 1st ODI: Pratika Rawal, Tejal Hasabnis shine as India beat Ireland by 6 wickets, lead series 1-0

India won the opening ODI of the three-match series against the Ireland women's cricket team. Today's initial match took place at Rajkot's Niranjan Shah Stadium.

Gabby Lewis, Ireland's captain, won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that proved costly as the visitors lost four wickets for 58 runs in the first 14 overs.

Lewis was Ireland's most effective player, facing 129 deliveries and hitting 92 runs, including 15 boundaries, before being caught and bowled by Deepti Sharma. Ireland concluded their innings, finishing with a score of 238/7.

In response, India started their innings well, with stand-in captains Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal leading the charge. Mandhana's aggressive hitting helped India score 50 runs in only the ninth over. Despite a couple setbacks, Rawal's poise and help from Harleen Deol and Jemimah Rodrigues kept India on track.

A solid show from #TeamIndia to seal a -wicket victory over Ireland in the series opener! 

Scorecard  https://t.co/bcSIVpjnlo#INDvIRE | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/ttWtOphIzO

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) January 10, 2025

Rawal reached her half-century off 69 balls, while Richa Ghosh's boundary shots helped India win by six wickets in just 34.3 overs.

Aimee Maguire got three wickets for 57 runs for Ireland, while Freya Sargent took one for thirty-eight. However, the remaining bowlers struggled to make an impression.

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