All-round performance seals India-W ODI series win against Zimbabwe-W
The Indian women’s cricket team continued their dominant run against Zimbabwe, beating them in the second ODI to pocket the series with a game to spare. Another clinical all-round performance from the Women in Blue saw the visitors outplayed in every single department in Vadodara.
Winning the toss, India opted to bat first. The hosts were jolted by a rude awakening as they lost two of their best batters cheaply. Smriti Mandhana (0) and Shafali Verma (8) fell to Nomvelo Sibanda as India were reduced to 19/3. However, the Women in Blue were soon to push back the early infringements from Zimbabwe as an incoming Harmanpreet Kaur combined well with Pratika Rawal.
Rawal (61) extended her excellent run to the second ODI while Harmanpreet Kaur looked in terrific control, hacking her away through the Zimbabwean bowling line-up. The two added 124 runs for the third wicket before Nyasha Gwanzura could get the better of Rawal. Olinder Chare struck in quick succession to dismiss Tejal Hasabnis (3) once again taking the edge of India’s aggression.
After the fall of two quick wickets, Kaur held fort to avert any further slip-ups while Deepti Sharma’s arrival in the center soothed the frayed nerves in the Indian batting order. The two got into overhaul mode and soon switched gears, dominating the Zimbabwean bowling unit ruthlessly.
Two of India’s most seasoned campaigners added 153 runs for the fifth wicket with Kaur being the aggressor-in-chief while Deepti Sharma almost replicating the former’s belligerence. Kaur brought up her 8th WODI century by sneaking a couple of runs against Beloved Biza. Kaur was eventually dismissed by Mitchel Mavunga for her blistering knock of 126 runs.
Deepti brought up her second ODI ton by smashing a boundary against Tendai Makusha in the final over of the innings, still calling the shots for Team India. Sharma stayed unbeaten for 106 from just 86 balls, whacking 15 fours while propelling India to 328/6 at the end of their 20 overs.
Zimbabwe got off to a decent start, riding high on the wave of belligerence knitted together by Modester Mupachikwa (49). However, her opening partner, Loyrn Phiri (6) couldn’t get going as N Sree Charani struck to dismiss the latter. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (46) joined Mupachikwa to bolster the stand for the visitors as the two added 69 runs for the second wicket.
Sayali Satghare removed Mugeri-Tiripano while Vaishnavi Sharma saw the back of Mupachikwa in short succession to claim a couple of quick wickets, throwing Zimbabwe’s chase into disarray. The visitors initially planned on hanging in the center instead of going for the kill and looked good to last for 50 overs before Vaishnavi Sharma unleashed an absolute storm to leave Zimbabwe stunned, startled and shellshocked. Vaishnavi registered her figures of 10-1-39-4, further claiming the scalps of Beloved Biza (34), Josephine Nkomo (20) and Mitchell Mavunga (3).
She was supported aptly by Deepti Sharma who claimed three wickets as India bundled out the visitors for 207, securing a win by a staggering 121 runs. Harmanpreet Kaur bagged the Player of the Match award for her sensational knock with the bat as India won the series with a game to spare.
