New Delhi: Indian youngster Pratika Rawal claimed her maiden international wicket with the dismissal of destructive West Indies opener Hayley Matthews during the second One-Day International match between India women and West Indies women played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Monday.
Matthews played a remarkable innings in response to India’s mammoth 358 in the first innings. It apparently seemed a battle between Matthews’ gumption and Indian bowlers’ gambit to get the better of the West Indies skipper.
The only concerted support Matthews received from the other side of the crease was from wicketkeeper-batter Shemaine Campbelle, who played a determined 38 runs off 48 balls before departing in the 34th over. Across this partnership, Matthews was keeping the visitors in the hunt with her delimit strokeplay with not a single six being hit by the star all-rounder. She smashed 13 boundaries to keep the runs flowing, though her team was staring at the. increasing asking rate and regular wickets tumbling only exacerbated the task for the women in maroon.
Jemimah takes a remarkable catch as India remove Hayley Matthews
India managed to get rid of Matthews when Pratika Rawal, the off-spin bowling all-rounder playing in her second ODI match only, bowled a routine length delivery. The West Indies batter attempted for the slog-sweep shot, which was miscued, and Rodrigues makes a long run from deep mid-wicket before putting a tremendous dive forward to hold on to the outstanding catch to hand the 24-year-old Pratika her first wicket in international cricket.
1⃣st wicket in international cricket for Pratika Rawal ✅
An excellent catch in the outfield by Jemimah Rodrigues ✅
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/u2CL80qolK#TeamIndia | #INDvWI | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/5ukcw4uefr
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 24, 2024
Matthews, disappointedly, walked back to the dugout after adding 106 runs off 109 balls to bridge the gap in what could have been a lopsided contest.
Earlier in the day, both Pratika (76 runs off 86 balls) and Jemimah (52 off 36 balls) hit half-centuries in different styles, each of them coming in between Harleen Deol’s maiden century (115 off 103 balls). Opener Smriti Mandhana continued her red-hot form with 53 off 47 balls.
Pratika Rawal claimed her first international wicket, dismissing West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (106 runs) in the second India vs. West Indies women’s ODI. Rodrigues’ remarkable catch sealed Matthews’ dismissal and Rawal’s memorable moment. India secured a convincing victory to seal the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
