Ton-up Mandhana aur Rawal ne Ireland women ko ODI records ke neeche daba diya.
Chandigarh: Smriti Mandhana ne sirf Harmanpreet Kaur ki absence mein captaincy sambhali, balki ek dhamakedar innings khelte hue Ireland ke khilaaf women’s ODIs mein sabse tez century ka record tod diya. Rajkot mein Wednesday ko unhone 70 balls mein century lagayi aur phir 80 balls par 135 runs bana kar India ko unka sabse bada total (435/5) tak pahunchaya. Harmanpreet ka record 87 balls ka tha. 304-run ki jeet – jo runs ke maamle mein India ki sabse badi jeet hai – ne Ireland ke khilaaf series ko 3-0 se sweep kar diya.
Lekin Rajkot ki run-spree sirf Mandhana ke wajah se nahi thi. Apne India debut ke ek mahine ke andar, 24 saal ki Pratika Rawal ne Indian women’s cricket mein ek sensation create kar diya hai. Delhi ki is batter ne, Shafali Verma ki inconsistent form ke baad opening sambhalte hue, 6 ODI innings mein 444 runs banaye hain.
Rawal ne ek run-a-ball maiden century banayi aur 154 runs (129 balls, 20 fours, 1 six) ki top-scoring innings kheli, Mandhana ke saath 233-run ki opening partnership banate hue. Yeh partnership sirf 26.4 overs mein hui. Mandhana ne 12 fours aur 7 sixes lagaye. Dono ki ye opening stand India ke liye ODIs mein third-highest hai. ODI totals mein ab sirf New Zealand ne India se zyada (3 baar) scores banaye hain, jisme unka record 491/4 shamil hai.
Ireland ki team sirf 131 runs par 31.4 overs mein all out ho gayi, aur India ne apna pehla record (249-run win against Ireland women in 2017, Pochefstroom) tod diya. Mandhana ke 27th over mein Orla Prendergast ke haathon short fine leg par out hone ke baad bhi Ireland ke liye koi relief nahi tha. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, jo No. 3 par aayi thi, ne 42-ball 59 runs banaye, 10 fours aur ek six ke saath apni power-hitting dikhayi.
Rawal, jo 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction mein unsold rahi, unhe T20s mein khelte dekhna fans ke liye mushkil hoga. Lekin unke performances selectors ko Women’s ODI World Cup ke liye ek strong option dete hain, jo August-September mein India host karega.
Mandhana ne match ke baad opening aur captaincy ki zimmedari ke baare mein kaha: “Mujhe ye wicket batter ke liye rakhna acha lagega, par captain ke roop mein nahi. Ye bowling ke liye hard wicket hai. Par mere liye ye clear tha ki mujhe apne arc mein shots khelne hain, kyunki opening batter ke roop mein ye har din ka mauka nahi hota…”
Rawal ki tareef karte hue unhone kaha: “Mujhe lagta hai uske paas ek calm head hai, aur vo samajhti hai ki usse kya karna hai. Uske paas dono tarah ka game hai – accelerate karna aur defensive khelna – jo ek one-day cricket ke liye bohot zaruri hai. Uske rise ko dekhna first ODI against West Indies se lekar ab tak bohot accha laga.”
Ek modest Rawal ne kaha: “Country ke liye runs banana hamesha accha lagta hai. Ye mere confidence ko boost karega.”
Brief scores
INDW 435/5 in 50 overs (Pratika Rawal 154, Smriti Mandhana 135, Orla Prendergast 2/71); IREW 131 all out in 31.4 overs (Sarah Forbes 41, Deepti Sharma 3/27). India won by 304 runs.
