Continuing their dominant run under the leadership of new captain Smriti Mandhana, the Indian women's cricket team followed up their T20 series clean sweep by completely whitewashing the visiting team in the ODI series as well. The third and final ODI of the series was played at a stadium in Vadodara, where the home side put up a stellar all-around display with both ball and bat. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Zimbabwe women's team failed to build any momentum and was bundled out for just 131 runs in 39.5 overs.
Vaishnavi Sharma Shines With Five-Wicket Haul
The visiting batting lineup was dismantled primarily by left-arm Indian spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who delivered a magical spell by claiming 5 wickets while conceding 39 runs in her 10 overs. She was well-supported by Kranti Goud and Sayali Satghare, both of whom chipped in with 2 wickets each to restrict Zimbabwe to a modest total. For Zimbabwe, Modester Mupachikwa put up 37 runs, while captain Josephine Nkomo contributed 35 runs. However, a glaring collapse meant that 7 players from the Zimbabwean side failed to even reach double digits. For context, India had earlier won the opening ODI of the series by 9 wickets before sealing a massive 121-run victory in the second encounter.
Comfortable Run Chase Led by Unbeaten Fifties
Chasing a target of 131 runs, the Indian team completed the formality with utmost ease. Powered by brilliant, unbeaten half-centuries from Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma, India reached the target in just 17 overs while losing only 2 wickets, thereby wrapping up the match and the series in style.
Strengthening Position in the ICC Women's Championship
This marked India's very first ODI series in the ongoing ICC Women's Championship 2025-29 cycle, with the team sweeping all three matches to accumulate a total of 6 points. Despite the clean sweep, the Indian team currently sits in the 7th position in the standings. Their next assignment will be an away tour of South Africa scheduled for December 2026. Set to begin on December 16, the tour will feature three ODI matches. Beyond the 50-over games, the upcoming South Africa tour will also include a one-off Test match and a three-match T20 International series, posing a significant test for newly appointed captain Smriti Mandhana.
