Vadodara: Vaishnavi Sharma produced the defining spell of the series as India Women completed a commanding 3-0 ODI sweep over Zimbabwe, bowling the visitors out for 131 before chasing the target down in just 17 overs to win the third ODI by eight wickets at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi.
The 20-year-old left-arm spinner, playing only her third ODI, finished with 5 for 39 from her full 10 overs, her maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket. It followed the four wickets she had taken in the second ODI at the same venue, and it underlined why she has been the breakout bowler of this home series.
Zimbabwe, who chose to bat first, never recovered from a poor start. Sayali Satghare removed Loryn Phiri for a duck in the second over and Kranti Gaud sent back Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano for four in the next, and the visitors were soon in trouble against a disciplined Indian attack. Wicketkeeper-opener Modester Mupachikwa top-scored with 37 from 48 balls and captain Josephine Nkomo made 35 from 67, adding 43 for the fifth wicket with Chiedza Dhururu, who scored 20. But once Vaishnavi broke through, there was no way back: she dismissed Beloved Biza for one, had Mupachikwa stumped for 37, and then ran through the middle and lower order to finish the innings in 39.5 overs. Satghare finished with 2 for 11 and Gaud 2 for 23.
India’s chase began with a wobble. Yastika Bhatia, sent in to open, was caught at mid-on off her very first ball for a golden duck, and Harleen Deol fell for 19 from 19 balls to leave India two down. That was as good as it got for Zimbabwe.
Pratika Rawal, the Player of the Series after scoring 220 runs in three innings, steadied the chase with an unbeaten 59 from 56 balls, her 10th half-century in her 30th ODI and her third big score of the series after 100 and 61 in the first two matches. Shafali Verma then took over the tempo, smashing an unbeaten 51 from just 26 balls, and the pair saw India home at 133 for 2 with 33 overs to spare.
The result completed a perfect home series for India against first-time bilateral opponents Zimbabwe. India had already swept the preceding T20I series 3-0, so the tour finished 6-0 in India’s favour, with the first ODI won by nine wickets and the second by 121 runs. For Zimbabwe, the experience of playing a top side away from home was the consolation; for India, the emergence of Vaishnavi Sharma as a genuine wicket-taking spinner may prove the most important takeaway of all.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 131 all out in 39.5 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 37, Josephine Nkomo 35; Vaishnavi Sharma 5-39, Sayali Satghare 2-11, Kranti Gaud 2-23) lost to India 133/2 in 17 overs (Pratika Rawal 59 not out, Shafali Verma 51 not out) by 8 wickets.
