Pratika Rawal's Unbeaten 100 and Shafali's 33-Ball 64 Crush Zimbabwe in ODI Opener

India opened their three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe with a nine-wicket win at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, on Friday. Chasing 198, the hosts reached 200 for 1 in just 27.1 overs, with 137 balls to spare, built around an unbeaten century from opener Pratika Rawal and a hard-hitting 64 not out from Shafali Verma.

The result follows India's 3-0 sweep of the T20I series between the two sides earlier this week (see our earlier coverage), and it was never close.

Rawal sets the tone

Rawal attacked from the first over. She and captain Smriti Mandhana put on 94 for the opening wicket in 15.3 overs, and India were 72 without loss after the 10-over powerplay, with Rawal contributing most of those runs. Mandhana made 32 off 34 balls before she was caught off Olinder Chare, the only Zimbabwe bowler to take a wicket.

Zimbabwe had one real chance to slow things down. Rawal was dropped at deep mid-wicket in the 13th over and went on to her fifty off 54 balls. She finished unbeaten on 100 off 96 deliveries with 15 fours, her third ODI hundred, reaching the milestone in the 27th over.

Shafali turns a chase into a rout

Shafali's arrival removed any doubt. She scored at nearly two runs a ball, bringing up her half-century off 29 deliveries with back-to-back sixes. She ended on 64 not out off 33 balls with five fours and four sixes, and hit the winning boundary off the first ball of the 28th over. The pair added an unbroken 106 for the second wicket.

Charani does the damage with the ball

Zimbabwe chose to bat after winning the toss but never got going. Kranti Gaud struck in the third over with a caught-and-bowled, and left-arm spinner Shree Charani then took control of the middle overs. She removed Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano lbw, had Sharne Mayers caught and later took a return catch to end a fifth-wicket stand. Charani finished with 4 for 23 from 10 overs, including three maidens. Gaud took 3 for 42 and Deepti Sharma picked up two late wickets.

Beloved Biza held Zimbabwe's innings together with 62 off 92 balls, and Michelle Mavunga added a brisk 29 off 23 to push the total close to 200. The visitors were finally dismissed for 197 off the penultimate ball of their innings. Assam's Jintimani Kalita also made her ODI debut for India in the match.

What's next

India lead the series 1-0 with two matches left. For Zimbabwe, the lesson from Vadodara is clear: a total under 200 gives little margin against a batting line-up this strong, and their bowlers will need early wickets to have any chance of levelling the series.

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