India Women completed a 3-0 ODI series whitewash against Zimbabwe Women with an eight-wicket victory in the third and final match, led by Vaishnavi Sharma’s five-wicket haul and unbeaten half-centuries from Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma.
Vaishnavi returned figures of 5 for 39 as Zimbabwe were dismissed for just 131. India then raced to 133 for 2 in 17 overs, completing the chase with 33 overs remaining.
Rawal finished unbeaten on 59 from 56 deliveries, while Shafali smashed 51 not out from only 26 balls, recording the second-fastest ODI half-century by an Indian woman.
The victory followed India’s previous 3-0 sweep in the T20I series, giving the hosts a clean sweep across both white-ball formats.
Match Summary
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe Women | 131 all out (40 overs) |
| India Women | 133/2 (17 overs) |
Result: India Women won by eight wickets with 33 overs remaining.
Top performers: Vaishnavi Sharma 5/39, Pratika Rawal 59*, Shafali Verma 51*, Modester Mupachikwa 37.
Vaishnavi Sharma Leads India’s Bowling Dominance
Zimbabwe elected to bat first despite having already lost the series, but their innings never gained momentum against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare made effective use of the new ball, generating movement while consistently targeting the area around off stump.
The pair kept Zimbabwe’s batters under pressure through a succession of dot balls. Alongside Jintimani Kalita and Vaishnavi, they delivered 46 dot balls during the opening ten-over powerplay.
Zimbabwe managed only 30 runs for the loss of three wickets during that period.
Satghare struck early when Loryn Phiri inside-edged a delivery to wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia, departing for a six-ball duck.
Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano followed after attempting to attack a wide delivery outside off stump, sending a catch to Shafali.
Zimbabwe were reduced to 12 for 2 after three overs. Vaishnavi entered the attack in the tenth over and immediately added to the visitors’ difficulties.
Beloved Biza attempted to advance down the pitch against the spinner’s first delivery but chipped the ball to mid-on.
She departed for one from 16 deliveries, leaving Zimbabwe struggling at 30 for 3.
Modester Mupachikwa Provides Zimbabwe’s Main Resistance
Opening batter Modester Mupachikwa was the only Zimbabwe player able to consistently challenge India’s bowlers during the early stages. She attacked Vaishnavi in the 12th over, striking two boundaries, including one from a free hit.
Mupachikwa continued her positive approach against Kalita, driving another boundary in the following over. However, Zimbabwe’s scoring difficulties at the other end forced her to take additional risks.
Josephine Nkomo struggled to find momentum, scoring only four runs from her first 18 deliveries.
Mupachikwa responded by lifting Vaishnavi over mid-on for four in the 16th over. Three deliveries later, she attempted a similar attacking stroke but was stumped. Her innings ended on 37 from 48 balls, including seven boundaries.
Despite her dismissal, Mupachikwa finished as Zimbabwe’s leading run-scorer and one of the few batters to maintain a reasonable scoring rate.
Vaishnavi’s Spin Dismantles Zimbabwe’s Middle Order
Following Mupachikwa’s departure, Nkomo and Chiedza Dhururu attempted to rebuild Zimbabwe’s innings through a cautious fifth-wicket partnership. Nkomo survived a dismissal on 11 after Kalita was called for a no-ball.
Meanwhile, Deepti Sharma maintained tight control with her offspin, completing a spell of four overs that included one maiden and conceded only seven runs. India also introduced Shafali’s part-time offspin as the hosts continued to restrict Zimbabwe’s scoring opportunities.
Vaishnavi remained particularly effective, varying her pace and using flight, dip and turn to trouble the batters.
Dhururu eventually fell for 20 from 39 deliveries after misjudging a dipping delivery and sending a leading edge to extra cover. Two overs later, Michelle Mavunga attempted an attacking lofted shot against another delivery that dipped sharply, only to mistime her stroke.
Vaishnavi continued working towards her maiden five-wicket haul of the match, eventually reaching the landmark with the final delivery of her tenth over.
Nyasha Gwanzura attempted a sweep but bottom-edged the ball onto her stumps. The dismissal left Zimbabwe eight wickets down and completed Vaishnavi’s impressive figures of 5 for 39.
Satghare subsequently dismissed Olinder Chare for a duck, while Nomvelo Sibanda was run out for three. Zimbabwe’s innings ended at 131 all out with ten overs remaining.
Gaud and Satghare supported Vaishnavi effectively, finishing with figures of 2 for 23 and 2 for 11, respectively.
India Experiment With Batting Order in Final ODI
With Zimbabwe defending a modest target, India used the opportunity to make changes to their batting lineup. Yastika Bhatia returned to ODI cricket after a two-year absence and was promoted to open the innings. However, her comeback with the bat lasted only one delivery, as Sibanda dismissed her for a first-ball duck.
Harleen Deol, making her first appearance of the series, came in at No. 3.
Shafali was moved down to No. 4 for the first time in her international career.
The adjustments did little to affect India’s progress, with Rawal and Deol quickly establishing momentum after the early wicket. The pair helped India reach 37 for 1 after five overs, striking four fours and two sixes between them.
Rawal was particularly aggressive, whipping and punching Mavunga for boundaries before attacking Sibanda with powerful strokes. She struck sixes through swats and pulls, maintaining pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowlers.
Deol also began positively, producing several well-timed boundaries through drives, a glide and a cut.
Her innings ended when she was caught down the leg side off Phiri, departing for 19 from 19 balls.
Shafali Verma Smashes India’s Second-Fastest ODI Fifty
Following Deol’s dismissal, Shafali joined Rawal and immediately accelerated India’s chase. The pair added an unbeaten 74 runs from just 50 deliveries, with Shafali taking the leading role in the partnership. Combining clean timing with powerful hitting, she struck five boundaries from her first 13 balls.
Her aggressive approach prevented Zimbabwe from applying any sustained pressure despite taking two wickets. Shafali repeatedly advanced down the pitch to attack the bowling, hitting all three of her sixes after moving out of her crease.
The final six completed India’s victory and brought up her half-century. She finished unbeaten on 51 from 26 deliveries, registering the second-fastest ODI fifty by an Indian woman.
Rawal also completed an impressive innings, remaining not out on 59 from 56 balls. Their partnership guided India to 133 for 2 in just 17 overs, completing the chase with eight wickets and 33 overs to spare.
India Women Seal ODI and T20I Series Whitewashes
India’s victory in the third ODI completed a dominant series against Zimbabwe, with the hosts winning all three matches.
The result mirrored their earlier performance in the T20I series, which they also won 3-0.
Vaishnavi’s five-wicket haul was the standout bowling performance of the final ODI, while Rawal and Shafali ensured India completed the chase without difficulty.
The match also allowed India to assess different batting combinations, with Bhatia returning to the ODI side, Deol receiving an opportunity at No. 3 and Shafali batting at No. 4.
India’s bowlers restricted the visitors to their lowest total of the ODI series before the batters secured another victory. The eight-wicket win completed a successful home campaign for India, who finished the two white-ball series with six victories from six matches.
