NEW DELHI: Jemimah Rodrigues struck her maiden ODI century as India secured a dominant 116-run win over Ireland in the second game in Rajkot to claim an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
India posted a formidable total of 370 for five, thanks to three half-centuries and Rodrigues’ century.
Ireland’s reply fell short, reaching 254 for seven in their allotted 50 overs.
Smriti Mandhana set the tone with a brisk 73 off 54 balls. Rodrigues then anchored the innings with her first international hundred, scoring 102 off 91 balls.
Pratika Rawal, making her debut, contributed a valuable 67 off 61 balls.
Harleen Deol also added a quickfire 89 off 84 balls.
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Ireland’s batting effort was led by Christina Coulter Reilly’s 80. However, the rest of the batting lineup struggled to keep pace with the required run rate.
Deepti Sharma was the most successful bowler for India, taking three wickets for 37 runs.
Titas Sadhu also chipped in with one wicket for 48 runs.
India’s impressive total was built upon two significant partnerships.
Mandhana and Rawal added 156 runs in 19 overs. Rodrigues and Deol further consolidated the innings with a 183-run stand off 28 overs.
In total, India’s batters struck 44 boundaries and three sixes.
Rodrigues’ century was a long time coming, having previously scored six half-centuries in 40 ODIs.
“It has been a long wait to get this hundred. Glad that the team gave me a role at No. 4 and I could deliver,” Rodrigues told broadcasters Star Sports at the innings break.
“Today, the important thing for me was to be till the 50th over. Getting runs is not a problem, I am good at that, but being till the end was important and glad I could do that.”
She said during their 183-run stand, it took some time for her and Deol to assess the nature of the track.
“Having Harleen there, initially we took time to assess the conditions. I know I can accelerate but while I took time, Harleen spoke to me to keep believing.
“We can’t take any team lightly, we have followed domestic cricket here, 390 has been chased,” she said.
