Pratika Rawal hits third ODI century as India beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in Vadodara

The Indian women's cricket team began the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe with a win. The first match was played yesterday at the Vadodara International Stadium in Kotambi. India had already won the preceding T20 series, and the team has now made a good start in the ODIs too.

Opener Pratika Rawal was the hero of the match. She scored a brilliant unbeaten century, the third ODI hundred of her career. She also set several records with the innings.

Zimbabwe captain Nomvelo Sibanda won the toss and chose to bat first, but the Indian bowlers proved that decision wrong. Zimbabwe were all out for 197 in 49.5 overs. The Indian bowlers kept the Zimbabwe batters under pressure from the start. Bilwhed Biza made 62 off 92 balls and was her team's top scorer, but the other batters could not put up a big total.

India were set a target of 198. Thanks to Rawal's fast century and a half-century from the other opener, Shafali Verma, India chased down the target comfortably with nine wickets in hand.

On the records: the most ODI centuries for India while opening are held by star batter and captain Smriti Mandhana, who has scored 14 in all. Rawal has become only the second Indian woman after Mandhana to score three or more centuries as an opener in international ODI cricket.

Overall, India held the upper hand in the first ODI from start to finish. The bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 197, and Rawal and Verma then made the chase easy with the bat.