Match

India Women won by 9 wkts

• Zimbabwe Women: 197/10 (49.5 overs)
• India Women: 200/1 (27.1 overs)

Zimbabwe Women - 197/10 (49.5 overs)

Extras: 12

India Women - 200/1 (27.1 overs)

Extras: 4

Commentary

• That’s a wrap from this game! Zimbabwe are yet to get off the mark on this tour, but there have been gradual signs of improvement with each passing game. When they return on Sunday, they’ll be hoping to finally get that elusive win and keep the series alive. Do join us for the second ODI then. Same place, same time. Cheers!!
• Smriti 2/2: [On maintaining consistency in the bowling attack with players coming into the side] Again, it's communication. You need to be absolutely clear with them. When they came in as well, we had a lot of communication, especially again the T20 side from the one-day side, we had two days. So good communication, knowing about, again, support staff, Aavishkar (Salvi) sir, not to mention, he's always with the bowlers, coordinates with them, then gets back to me with the plans. So he's really on it and makes my job easy. [On the team's plans ahead of the next match] Hopefully a relaxed chill day would be good because we have all played one-day cricket after a very long time. So yeah, we will hang out with each other, trying to get to know more about the players, because we have a lot of new players coming in and with a lot of energy, especially Jintimani. I mean, she's just a ball of energy around the team.
• Smriti Mandhana | India skipper: [On India's dominant performance and the bowlers adapting to a different ground] Coming into a different ground, I think the bowlers adapted really well, especially Shree Charani, I think standout bowler for us. Also the pacers, the way they bowled, Kranthi to mention, out of all the bowlers, they were pretty disciplined. Yes, we can tidy up our fielding, a few catches went down our way, but otherwise, again Shafali and Pratika went about that chase, and it was a masterclass. [On whether India let the game drift during any period of the 50-over innings] Well, we are playing fifty overs after a very long time. We have played T20 cricket for almost last seven months, so definitely the period between 20 to 35, I would say, we could have had more intensity on the field. That is something which we will take it back from a game and work on.
• Pratika Rawal 2/2: [On analysing her century and the confidence she gained while batting] There were a lot of shots that I was not very fond of. As a batter, you can never get satisfied, and that's the beauty of this game. There's always a learning when you're going in to bat or, you know, when you're going for a match. As a batter, I feel the more I bat, the more I feel confident, and it's just one of those days where the ball was going wherever I wanted to. And when you middle the ball that well, you feel confidence and you don't have a lot of thoughts in your head. So it makes my job easy, and luckily it turned out really well today.
• Pratika Rawal | Player of the Match: [On scoring runs and contributing to the team's victory] I think it was a happy day today. It's always good to be back in that groove when you're contributing runs that leads to the team victory. It's always good to score runs. It's always good to be in the middle and bat as much as I can. [On scoring her first ODI hundred on the same date as her latest century] Before we were going in to bat, we saw this match on TV, which was New Zealand versus India, and we were having this conversation that this is the exact day when I scored my first ODI hundred. So I'm really happy. It brings back very good memories, and to be able to do this on the same day, it's actually great. [On dealing with injuries and returning stronger] I just try to keep things simple. Just first thing is to accept that this is not in my hands. This is part and parcel of the game. So what is not in your hands, there's not really much you can do about it. So why worry about it and why, stress about it? So luckily I have good people around me who keep pushing me, and it's always good to be back here again.
• Nomvelo Sibanda | Zimbabwe skipper: [Zimbabwe’s performance and areas where the team fell short] We did not play as well as we wanted. We were like 100 runs short, and then in some of our fielding as well, we did not complement our bowlers enough. Those chances that we put down. [On India’s aggressive batting and Zimbabwe’s bowling performance] I thought they played aggressive. Obviously, we didn’t bowl that good length consistently, but I thought the spinners pulled it back nicely. [On whether the pitch and conditions made defending the target difficult] Obviously the pitch has a bit flatter, so as bowlers we have to hustle and hit that good length. [On the positives from the match and the support from fans] Obviously, the beloved bees have been cheering, something that we cherish.
• Shafali Verma: [On building her innings] Just trying to see the way how ball is behaving, and just enjoying both of their innings and just trying to, play around in the starting and then just build my innings as I do. There is a bit of plans, and I'm just trying to execute that. [Asked if she did anything differently at number three] Of course, didn't get that ten-over powerplay thing, two fielders outside. But, just trying to take the singles. So, I will learn these things. ODI is testing my patience and I'm really happy to learn that. I'm really enjoying my innings today. Really happy for that. [Asked what Zimbabwe could have done better after being put under pressure] Well, we're just starting. There's a big chance if they take that, I think I'm not a good coach, but I'm pretty sure they work hard and they will come back stronger. [Asked what Zimbabwe could do to keep her quiet after her impressive innings] Well, if I tell this thing, I'm pretty sure I will not make runs which I did today. [Asked about bowling regularly and whether she bowls in the nets during training sessions] Yes, in the nets I used to bowl three-four overs, but it's just, getting used to how wicket is behaving. Yesterday also I bowled in the nets, and I'm just trying to hit the stumps and just trying to make them under pressure with the dot balls. [Asked when she decided to switch from medium pace to off-spin] You (WV Raman) know about that. In that time you were the coach and I'm pretty sure you know my pace bowling. But yeah, I see Sophie Ecclestone, she is also tall, so I was thinking, I'm also tall if I will bowl, I will start bowling spin. So I will make a little bit of impact.
• 19:35 local, 14:05 GMT, 19:35 IST: India were always on the front foot during the chase. Pratika took on the aggressor's role in the powerplay and, despite losing her opening partner in the 15th over, continued to play positively to bring up a well-deserved century. Smriti may not have found her rhythm today, but Shafali was nothing short of exceptional. She bludgeoned the ball to all corners of the ground, smashing a 33-ball 64 to step on the accelerator and help the hosts wrap up the chase inside 30 overs. Zimbabwe also let themselves down in the field, dropping Pratika on 45, while their mediocre bowling made India's task all the easier. Stick around for the post-match reactions...
• 27.1: Nyasha Gwanzura to Shafali Verma, FOUR, full and straight, thrashed down the ground and that went like a tracer bullet. A comprehensive win for India - they win by 9 wickets and go 1-0 up in the series.
• Nyasha Gwanzura [2.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack
• 26.6: Tendai Makusha to Pratika Rawal, FOUR, third ODI hundred for Pratika Rawal. She gets there with a whippy drive wide of long-on, takes her helmet off and soaks in all the applause with a raise of the bat. Shafali all smiles and so is the entire dressing room...
• 26.5: Tendai Makusha to Pratika Rawal, FOUR, thick outside-edge beats the diving fielder at deep third to her left. Pratika threw her hands on the short and wide ball and the outside-edge went flying past the keeper to her right
• 26.4: Tendai Makusha to Pratika Rawal, no run, full at the stumps, Pratika thrashes the drive and picks out the fielder at mid-on
• 26.3: Tendai Makusha to Pratika Rawal, 2 runs, angled in at the pads, Pratika whips and gets it in the gap wide of mid-wicket for a couple of runs
• 26.2: Tendai Makusha to Pratika Rawal, no run, full on off, Pratika drives off the cue end to the left of mid-on
• 26.1: Tendai Makusha to Pratika Rawal, no run, short and wide of off, Rawal looks to cut and gets beaten on the outside-edge
• Tendai Makusha [4.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack
• 25.6: Olinder Chare to Shafali Verma, SIX, Shafali Verma is down the track once again and goes inside out over cover. A full flighted delivery on off-stump, Shafali gets it right off the screws and clears the fielder at wide long-off. 20 runs off the over
• 25.5: Olinder Chare to Pratika Rawal, 1 run, driven down to long-on
• 25.4: Olinder Chare to Shafali Verma, 1 run, Shafali Verma moves back and cuts it to the off-side