Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma took 5 for 39 as India Women bowled Zimbabwe out for 131, then Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma finished unbeaten on fifties to win by eight wickets in 17 overs in Vadodara and complete a 3-0 ODI series sweep.
Vadodara, India: India Women had already won the series, and the third ODI became a showcase for a 20-year-old spinner and two attacking batters. Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat, were bowled out in 39.5 overs, and then watched India reach 133 for 2 with 33 overs to spare.
Zimbabwe crumble against spin and seam
Zimbabwe were 25 for 3 at one stage. Sayali Satghare removed Loryn Phiri for a duck early and finished with 2 for 11 from six overs, while Kranti Gaud took 2 for 23. Modester Mupachikwa made 37 off 48 balls and captain Josephine Nkomo 35 off 67, but neither innings could rescue a total that never threatened India.
Vaishnavi’s maiden five-for
Vaishnavi Sharma did most of the damage. The left-arm spinner took 5 for 39 in ten overs, claiming Beloved Biza, Mupachikwa, Chiedza Dhururu, Michelle Mavunga and Nyasha Gwanzura. Mupachikwa was stumped by Yastika Bhatia.
It was Vaishnavi’s first five-wicket haul in ODIs. At 20 years and 314 days, she became the second-youngest Indian woman to take one, behind only Deepti Sharma, who took 6 for 20 against Sri Lanka in Ranchi in 2016. She had taken 4 for 39 in the 121-run win in the second ODI.
Rawal and Shafali finish the job
India lost Yastika Bhatia first ball of the chase, caught off Nomvelo Sibanda. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol then added 59 for the second wicket, and Deol fell for 19 off 19 balls, caught by Mupachikwa off Phiri. Rawal and Shafali Verma saw the chase out with an unbeaten stand of 74. Rawal finished on 59 off 56 balls, and Shafali hit 51 off 26.
A clean sweep
The eight-wicket win completed a 3-0 series result. India had opened the series with a nine-wicket win in the first ODI before the 121-run victory in the second.
Result: India Women won by eight wickets (33 overs remaining). Zimbabwe Women 131 all out (39.5 overs); India Women 133 for 2 (17 overs). India Women won the series 3-0. Key performers: Vaishnavi Sharma 5/39, Pratika Rawal 59* (56), Shafali Verma 51* (26).
