Riding on Pratika, Tejal fifties, India cruise to six-wicket win over Ireland

Rajkot: Riding on Pratika Rawal's career-best 89 (off 96 balls) and an unbeaten 53 by comeback kid Tejal Hasabnis, India cruised to a six-wicket win over Ireland to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women's ODI series here on Friday.

Rawal anchored the modest run chase of 239 after stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana's brisk 41, smashing 10 fours and one six.

Hasabnis, who last played an ODI against New Zealand in October 2024, struck her first fifty on her comeback with nine boundaries. They put together a match-winning 116-run partnership from 84 balls with India winning the match with 93 balls to spare.

Mandhana gave the team a fantastic start with a blistering 29-ball 41, studded with six fours and a six. In the process, she became the second Indian and 15th overall to surpass 4,000 ODI runs.

While Mandhana unsettled the Irish bowlers with her attacking strokeplay, her young opening partner Rawal provided excellent support. The duo shared their third fifty-plus opening stand in four matches, keeping the scoreboard ticking with ease.

However, Ireland managed a breakthrough right at the end of powerplay when Mandhana mistimed a slog sweep to mid-on, falling nine runs short of her fifty.

Left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire (3/57 from 8 overs) stalled India's momentum temporarily as she removed Harleen Deol (20) and Jemimah Rodrigues (9).

But the inexperience of Ireland came to fore as they failed to seize the momentum.

Earlier, butter-fingered India let Ireland off the hook with their pathetic fielding as visiting skipper Gaby Lewis carved out a classy 92 to lift her team to a respectable 238 for 7.

At one point, the visitors were in deep trouble at 56 for four in the 14th over, but Lewis and Leah Paul (59 off 73 balls) added 117 runs for the fifth wicket to steer their team to safety.