India Women Dominate Ireland in First ODI of Historic Series

India Women secured a commanding six-wicket victory over Ireland Women in the first ODI of their historic bilateral series in Rajkot on Tuesday. Chasing a target of 239, India reached 241/4 in just 34.3 overs, thanks to a stellar 89 from Pratika Rawal and an unbeaten 53 from Tejal Hasabnis.

Ireland, opting to bat first, struggled early, losing two wickets in the PowerPlay. Titas Sadhu struck first, dismissing Sarah Forbes, while Jemimah Rodrigues‘ sharp throw ran out Una Raymond-Hoey. Priya Mishra then claimed two quick wickets, leaving Ireland reeling at 56/4. However, a 117-run partnership between Gaby Lewis (92) and Leah Paul (59) revived the innings. Lewis, the Ireland captain, anchored the innings with a 129-ball knock, but her dismissal to Deepti Sharma halted Ireland’s momentum. Arlene Kelly‘s late cameo of 28 helped Ireland post 238/7.

India’s chase began explosively, with stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana smashing 41 off 29 balls. Rawal then took charge, anchoring the innings with a composed 89. Despite losing Harleen Deol and Jemimah Rodrigues to Aimee Maguire, India remained in control as Hasabnis’ unbeaten half-century sealed the win. Maguire finished with figures of 3-57, but her efforts were in vain as India cruised to victory with more than 15 overs to spare.

This match marked Ireland’s first-ever bilateral tour of India, a significant milestone in their cricketing history. The teams last met in the 2023 T20 World Cup, where India edged out Ireland by five runs. With this win, India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, continuing their dominance over Ireland in ODIs.