India won the three match ODI series against Ireland by 116 runs on January 12 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Hence, it placed India in a very comfortable state in the ODI format of the game 2-0 in the series.
India could not have started on a worse note for New Zealand as Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal put up 156 runs for the opening wicket. Mandhana, who played with much of a T20 mindset, took knock-and-play innings to score 73 off only 54 balls – 10 fours – 2 sixes.
Rawal was also equally calm during her innings making 67 off 61 balls. That was more than enough for India’s final tally.
Ireland resisted reasonably well but could not maintain the tempo of the target run. The aggressive score was 371; Christina Coulter Reilly was not very helpful to them with a determined 80 off 113 balls and Laura Delany with 37 runs. You see the Indian bowlers were getting on the breakpoint to break Ireland’s partnership; they never had any kind of roll.
The bowler of Indians was led so well by their captain Deepti Sharma who took three wickets for thirty seven runs in the ten overs, this exposed yet another big name Priya Mishra got rid off Reilly and Ava Canning.
This bowling side showed a lot of discipline not to allow Ireland go past 254/7 in 50 overs and definitely below target, as the wickets were shared by Titas Sadhu and Sayali Satghare each. The ODI series is going on between India and Australia, this is the third match on 15th January and this time India will win.
