The Indian women’s cricket team is set to face Zimbabwe in the second One Day International (ODI) at the BCA Cricket Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday.
Led by Smriti Mandhana, India aims to secure an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.
Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is looking for their first victory of the tour. In the first ODI, India delivered a , with Sri Charni taking four wickets to restrict Zimbabwe to just 197 runs. Kranthi Gaud also made a significant contribution with three wickets for 42 runs, while Deepti Sharma showcased her bowling prowess as well.
On the batting front, Pratika Rawal shone brightly, scoring an impressive century. She faced only 96 balls to finish with an unbeaten 100 runs, including 15 boundaries. Shafali Verma maintained her T20 form, contributing 64 runs off just 33 balls, while Smriti Mandhana added 32 runs to the total. India’s batting order had already shown good form against Zimbabwe in the preceding T20 series.
For Zimbabwe, batting has been a major concern. The team’s batsmen struggled against spin bowling, with only Bilwedi Biza making a noteworthy effort, scoring 62 runs. Unfortunately, five of her teammates failed to reach double digits. The bowling performance in the first ODI was also below par, lacking rhythm.
The pitch at the BCA Cricket Stadium has favored spinners, offering good turn. However, once set, batsmen have been able to score runs comfortably. Historically, the average score for the first innings at this ground has been 266 runs, while the second innings average stands at 203 runs. According to AccuWeather, clear skies are expected in Vadodara on Sunday, with no chance of rain.