Fresh off their dominant 3-0 One Day International (ODI) series win over the West Indies, hosts India are scheduled to play 3 ODIs against Ireland, who recently suffered a 3-match ODI whitewash to Bangladesh. The series opener gets underway at 11:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 10th of January 2025 at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot.
India holds a dominant 12-0 lead over Ireland in ODIs, and notably, this will be their first bilateral series since 2006 and Ireland’s first on Indian soil. The visitors will be aiming for their first win on this historic tour, while India will want to extend their dominance, setting the stage for a record-breaking series.
Squads:
India women’s cricket team
Smriti Mandhana (C), Deepti Sharma (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry (WK), Richa Ghosh (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare
Ireland women’s cricket team
Gaby Lewis (C), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Arlene Kelly, Joanna Loughran, Aimee Maguire, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Una Raymond-Hoey, Freya Sargent, Rebecca Stokell
Players to watch out:
Harleen Deol
The 26-year-old middle-order batter has accumulated 437 runs from 15 ODI innings, at an average of 31.21, and set a career-best of 115 with her maiden international century in India’s recent ODI series against the West Indies. After a strong start to this domestic season, Harleen returned to the national setup and built on her recent ODI scores of 19, 12, 39, and 44 with a mature 115. She can be relied upon for runs.
Priya Mishra
The 20-year-old leg-spinner has taken 11 wickets from 7 ODI appearances, at an economy rate of 5.95, and recorded best figures of 3/49. Priya impressed right away with a 5-fer in an A game and translated this success into international cricket, with 3 wickets in each of two ODI series against New Zealand and Australia. Against the West Indies, she produced bowling figures of 2/22, 3/49, and 0/30, and can be counted on for breakthroughs.
Leah Paul
The 25-year-old middle-order batter has accumulated 938 runs from 37 ODIs, at an average of 25.35, and registered the highest score of 137. Leah hasn’t had much success in recent outings, only managing notable starts of 22, 27*, 10, and a promising 79* in the T20I leg of their Bangladesh series. She is an exciting talent and should be backed to rediscover her form, and she can also be more than handy with the ball.
Freya Sargent
The 18-year-old off-spinner has claimed 17 wickets from 13 ODIs, including the best of 3/29, maintaining an economy rate of 5.63. Freya has enjoyed a rewarding run of late, claiming 4 wickets from 2 ODIs against England, and while she claimed only two wickets from three ODIs against Bangladesh, she was economical in her returns. She can be trusted to make the most of the assistance from the wicket, creating an impact.
Pitch:
The Niranjan Shah Stadium offers a good wicket to bat on, evident from the average score in the 290s. While bowlers, both pacers and spinners, will find purchase off the wicket, they will have to remain disciplined in order to create opportunities.
Weather:
It will be a pleasant day for cricket in Rajkot, with the temperature expected to hover around 29°C, light winds, and humidity at 38%. With a clear forecast, we are in for a complete game of cricket.
Fantasy playing XI:
Richa Ghosh, Smriti Mandhana, Gaby Lewis, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Orla Prendergast, Laura Delany, Pratika Rawal, Aimee Maguire, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor
Match details:
Date – January 10, 2024
Time – 11:00 AM IST
Venue – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
Broadcast – The game will be live streamed on Jio Cinema and telecasted on Sports18.
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