IND-W vs ZIM-W 1st ODI Results

2:37 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Pratika Rawal deservedly takes home the award for her unbeaten and match-winning 100 (96), including fifteen fluent boundaries. She begins by saying that it was a happy day today, and that it felt good to be back in the groove and contribute runs that helped seal the win for India. For her, spending time in the middle and batting as long as possible is always a pleasure. She also recalls that this was the same day she scored her first ODI century, a memory that came flooding back as New Zealand versus India played on the dressing-room television before India went out to bat. Scoring her third ODI hundred on the same date, she says, brings back some very special memories. On returning stronger from an injury setback, Rawal accepts that such things are beyond her control and simply part and parcel of the game. She feels there's no point stressing over what you can't change, and credits the people around her for keeping her motivated and pushing her forward. Assessing her hundred, Rawal admits there were still plenty of shots she wasn’t fully happy with, pointing out that as a batter, you can never be completely satisfied. She feels the more she bats, the more confident she becomes, and on a day when she was middling the ball well, everything just fell into place.

2:35 PM IST A quick turnaround - That's all from this one, then. India storm to a 1-0 lead after dismantling Zimbabwe in every department in this series opener, and they'll head into the next game with plenty of confidence and a spring in their step. Still, there are a couple of areas to tighten up. They dropped as many as four catches and also missed a couple of run-out opportunities in the field. For Zimbabwe, this remains very much a learning curve, and they shouldn’t let heavy defeats like this one weigh them down. They are still a work in progress, but will be looking to build more partnerships with the bat and find ways to make early inroads with the ball. The second ODI will be played in Vadodara on Sunday, 25th October and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 8.30 am GMT (2 pm IST). But do join us for the build-up in advance as well. Until then, take care, cheers!

2:32 PM IST The Indian captain - Smriti Mandhana says that, coming into a different ground, the bowlers adapted really well, especially Sree Charani, who was the standout bowler for them, and the pacers, particularly Kranti Gaud, also made valuable contributions. She acknowledges that a few catches went down but praises Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma for their masterclass with the bat. Reflecting on whether the team allowed the game to drift, Smriti notes that they are returning to 50-over cricket after a long time and feels they could have maintained greater intensity in the field between overs 20 and 35. She adds that the team will work on that aspect going forward. On managing the bowlers, including Sayali Satghare and Jintimani Kalita, Smriti stresses the importance of clear communication. She explains that the team had only two days to switch from T20Is to ODIs, with support staff member Aavishkar Salvi coordinating with the bowlers and sharing their plans with her. She feels a relaxed day off will be beneficial and adds that it will give the team an opportunity to get to know some of their new players better.

2:25 PM IST The captain of Zimbabwe Women - Nomvelo Sibanda reflects on the defeat. On her assessment of the match, she admits that they simply weren't good enough with the bat, falling about 100 runs short of the total they needed. She feels they didn't do enough to complement their bowlers, and the chances they put down ultimately proved costly. Assessing the bowling effort, Sibanda acknowledges that India were aggressive, while Zimbabwe struggled to bowl consistently in the right areas. She does, however, praise the spinners for pulling things back well. When asked whether the conditions differed from those back home, Sibanda notes that the pitch here is a little flatter, meaning the bowlers have to work harder and hit the right areas consistently. On the positives, despite the heavy defeat, she points to Beloved Biza’s half-century as the main positive, something she says the team will cherish.

2:21 PM IST ... The post-match Presentation ...

2:18 PM IST In conversation with Shafali Verma - Verma says says she wanted to assess how the ball was behaving at the start and enjoy her batting before building her innings. She mentions that she had a few plans in mind and was trying to execute them. On batting at number three, she notes that she did not have the advantage of the ten-over Powerplay with only two fielders outside the circle, so she focused on taking singles. She adds that ODI cricket is testing her patience, making it a valuable learning experience, and says she is really enjoying her innings. Speaking about Zimbabwe's bowling performance, Shafali feels there were a few things the bowlers needed to take care of at the start. While admitting that she is not a good coach, she is confident they will work hard and come back stronger. When asked what they could have done to contain her, she jokingly says she is unlikely to score the same number of runs again and would rather not give them any advice. On her bowling preparation, Shafali reveals that she used to bowl three or four overs in the nets and also bowled the previous day to get accustomed to the way the wicket was behaving. She explains that her focus is on hitting the stumps and putting batters under pressure. Reflecting on her switch from medium pace to off-spin, she recalls that she felt her height could help her make an impact with spin.