IND-W vs ZIM-W 3rd ODI Commentary - Vadodara (28 October 2026)

Pitches it up, outside off, Pratika Rawal drives it to point.

WIDE! Fuller, but sprays it wide outside off, beyond the tramline. Pratika Rawal makes a leave.

Short, on off, Pratika Rawal knocks it to long off to take a single and give Verma the strike. 

Tossed up, fuller, on off. Shafali Verma whips it aerially, but fails to time it right. The ball drops short to the left of the deep mid-wicket fielder, and the batter takes a single.

Short, wide outside off, Pratika Rawal punches it to deep cover for one.

Fuller, around off, Shafali Verma skips down the track and drills it along the ground, straight to the cover fielder. 

SIX! Verma makes sure she gets her FIFTY and finishes off the chase with style. India beat Zimbabwe by 8 wickets to complete the clean sweep. Tossed up, fuller, just outside off, Shafali Verma dances down the track and smokes it back over the bowler's head for half a dozen. 

Short of a length, around the leg stump. Pratika Rawal drops to one knee for the sweep but does not get it away. The ball hits the left pad of the keeper and goes nowhere.

Fuller, on off, Pratika Rawal flicks it to mid-wicket. 

SIX! Out of the park! Tossed up, fuller, on middle, Pratika Rawal skips down the track and offers a pick up shot to clear the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie. 

Fuller, on middle, Pratika Rawal blocks it back to the bowler.

Misjudgment by Chiedza Dhururu! Biza pitches it fuller, on off, a bit slower this time. Rawal looks to go over the top on the off side, but she is not to the pitch of the ball and chips it towards cover. Dhururu loses the ball in the lights as she back pedals initially before realising that she needs to come forward to take the catch. She puts in a dive, but the ball does not carry and only settles in her palm after bouncing on the ground.

Looped up, on middle. Rawal eases it to long on for a single. India need 9 more runs to win while Shafali Verma needs 6 for her fifty.

Flat and short, on off. Pratika cuts it to deep point and turns the strike over.

A hint of turn, on a good length, on off. Shafali uses her feet and powers it down to long off. The fielder runs to her right and slides to cut it off. With this single, the 50-run stand comes up between these two batters.

FIFTY FOR RAWAL! A hundred in the first ODI, a fifty in the second, and now another half-century today. Pratika continues to pile on the runs in ODI cricket. A bit short, on off. Rawal gets onto the back foot and punches it through covers for a single to reach her half-century.

SIX! Launched down the ground. Flighted delivery, it is the googly, on off. Shafali shimmies down the track and even though she is not to the pitch of the ball, she goes through with the shot. Lofts it back over the bowler's head for a six.

Shorter now, on off. Shafali hammers it straight to extra cover.

At the sticks. Shafali steps out and works it to mid-wicket.

Wide! Down leg, Rawal lets it go.

Dropped short, turning into the pads. Rawal shovels it off the back foot to deep square leg. They cross.

SIX! All the way. Flighted up, on middle. Verma puts the dancing shoes on and picks it up off the pads. Hits it to the right of deep mid-wicket and gets enough bat on it to clear the fence. India go past 100.

Loopy ball but a trifle short, on off. Shafali spanks it to cover.

Offers flight, on a good length, on off. Shafali gives the bowler the charge again and shapes up to go inside out. Ends up hitting it a lot straighter towards long off, where the fielder does not quite go for the catch and runs around to his left to save the boundary. Just a single.

On the pads, on the fuller side. Pratika wrists it in front of square on the leg side for one.

At 67.2 kph, full and on off. Verma leans onto the drive and crunches it straight to extra cover.

A bit of air given, on a good length, on off. Pratika punches it to long off and crosses over.

FOUR! Up and over! Slanting into the pads, a little too straight. Verma shimmies down the track and sinks to a knee. She brings out the sweep and plays it over the square leg fielder for a four.

Drags the length back, on middle. Verma dances down the track and punches it to long on for a run.

Short and wide on off. Pratika cuts but picks out the fielder at backward point.

And again. On the shorter wide, not as wide as the previous ball. Pratika cuts it to backward point.

Way too short, this does not rise much, outside off. Pratika knocks it off the back foot to long off for a single.

FOUR! Not exactly where Shafali intended but she will take it. Skidding through, short and wide on off. Verma throws her hands at the ball. It goes more off the toe end of the blade but it races away to beat the deep third fielder to her left.

That has hurt! Not all that short, in line with the off stump. Verma looks to unleash the pull but the ball does not rise much and skids through to catch the inside edge and ping her on the back knee.

FOUR! Gets it away this time. Not all that short, angled in at the sticks. Shafali presses back and rolls her wrists over the ball. Checks her shot as she plays more of a jab between square leg and mid-wicket for another boundary.

Bowled on a length, wide on off. Verma reaches out for the drive. Gets it off the outer half behind point for a single.

Full and drifting onto the pads. Rawal makes use of the angle and the pace of the ball to clip it to the left of short fine leg for a couple of runs.

Wide on off, on a length. Pratika reaches out and slices it past point for a single. 12 runs off the over. India need 42 more runs to complete a clean sweep.

Flighted delivery, on off. Rawal leans on it and drives it to deep cover for a single.

At the sticks. Verma steps out and flicks it past mid-wicket for one.

A bit of a drag down, on middle. Rawal rocks back and pulls it hard but straight to deep backward square leg for another single.

FOUR! Nearly went the distance. Floated up, full and wide on off. Verma charges down the track and gets close to the line of the ball. She puts her head down and swings through the line, thumping it towards wide long off for a one-bounce four.

FOUR! That has rocketed to the fence. Dropped short, on middle. Verma picks up the length early and rocks back in a flash. She nails the pull all along the ground, well to the right of deep mid-wicket for four more.

On a good length, slower and on off. Shafali advances and tries to clip it away. Gets a soft leading edge as the ball dribbles wide of cover for one. India need 54 more runs.

FOUR! That should have been stopped! Short of a length, just outside off, Shafali Verma hangs back and punches it into the gap between short cover and wide mid off. The later sprints to her left and commits a dive but fails to stop it as the ball races away for a boundary. 

On a nagging length, outside off, Shafali Verma guides it to short third.

Good length, outside off, Shafali Verma punches it to cover for a single.

Good length, on off, Pratika Rawal blocks it to the off side.

Fuller, around off, Pratika Rawal drives it to cover.

Back of a length, outside off, Pratika Rawal pats it to deep cover and retains the strike with a single.

FOUR! EXQUISITE! Phiri starts off with a shorter one, well outside off. Harleen Deol frees her arms and cuts it into the gap between cover and point for a boundary. 

Fuller, outside off, Harleen Deol drives it to mid off.

Short, outside off, Harleen Deol fails to connect her cut this time. 

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Not the first time we have seen a batter being strangled down leg today. Tossed up, fuller, angling down the leg side. Harleen stays deep in her crease, attempting to work it fine, but gets a tickle off the glove. It is a healthy deflection, but the keeper, Modester Mupachikwa, does well to move with the ball to her left and takes the catch around her left knee. India are now 2 down for 59/2, needing 73 more runs.

Short, around off, Verma fends it to cover.

Fullish, outside off, Shafali Verma punches it to wide mid off and gets off the mark with a single.

Short, outside off, Pratika Rawal knocks it to cover-point.

Flighted up, fuller, on off, Pratika Rawal drives it to cover.

A bit quicker and fuller, on off, Pratika Rawal punches it but finds the cover fielder. 

Hits the deck hard, does Chipare, but this does not rise much.  Pratika Rawal punches it to deep cover for a single.

Fuller in length, around off and middle. Harleen Deol works it to mid off.

Tap and run! A touch fuller, outside off, Harleen Deol pushes it toward the right of the cover-point fielder and gets across for a single.

FOUR! Easy pickings! A loosener first up by Phiri, a half-tracker, down leg. Rawal swivels on the back foot and pulls it behind square leg for a four.

FOUR! Thumped away! High full toss, just outside off, Pratika Rawal swings through the line and slams it over mid off for a boundary. A quick check for height and it is fine. The 50 is up for India.

A touch fuller, around off, Pratika Rawal fends it away.

Off the outside edge! Tossed up, fuller, outside off, Pratika Rawal tries to drive it toward mid off, but gets nicked off the outside edge before it rolls toward the left of backward point. Brace taken. 

Fullish, around off, Pratika Rawal pushes it back to the bowler.

Low full toss, outside off, Pratika Rawal drives it to long on for a single. India need 79 more runs.

Chipare comes from over the wicket and bowls on a good length, attacking the off stump. Pratika Rawal fends it to cover-point. 

A touch fuller, just outside off. Pratika Rawal pushes it to cover.

Just a shade behind the fuller length, outside off. Pratika Rawal gets behind the line and pats it to point.

On a nagging length, outside off, Pratika Rawal punches it to deep cover for a single.

Fuller, on off and middle, Harleen Deol defends it back to Chipare. 

FOUR! Uppish, but into the gap! Back of a length, keeping the line outside off, Harleen Deol waits for it and punches it late, opening the face of the bat. The ball flies a bit and beats the diving backward point fielder to her left for the boundary. 

SIX! BANG! That is the first biggie of the match. On a back of a length, on off and middle. Pratika Rawal hang back, stands tall in the crease and launches it over long on for half a dozen.

Short of a length, around off, around off, Pratika Rawal punches it to cover.

Angling away from the batter, on a good length, wide outside off. Pratika Rawal makes a leave.

SIX! Hammered away! Short of a length, around off, Pratika Rawal rocks back and pulls it hard, over deep mid-wicket for six more runs.

On a length, outside off, Pratika Rawal knocks it to sweeper cover for a single.

Good length, just outside off, Harleen Deol dabs it to point. 

BYE! Angling down the leg side, Harleen Deol tries to sweep but misses. The keeper fails to gather it cleanly, and the batter gets a bye. Not given as a wide, as the ball was within the tramline.

Low full toss, again angling down the leg side. Pratika Rawal tries to swat it behind square leg but closes the bat face early. The ball hits the back of the bat and goes to deep third for a single. 

FOUR! Gloriously driven! Full, attacking the middle stump. Harleen Deol plants her front foot toward the delivery and drives it neatly, straight down the ground for four runs.

Short of a length, outside off, Harleen Deol misses her cut.

FOUR! More runs for India! Fuller, wide outside off. Harleen Deol leans on it and drills it wide of the cover fielder for four runs.

Fullish, on off, Harleen Deol punches it to mid on.

Short of a length, over middle, Pratika Rawal punches it to mid off. 

Much fuller in length, on the leg stump. Pratika Rawal rocks back and clips it to mid-wicket. 

WIDE! Sprays it way wide outside off, angling away. Pratika Rawal makes a leave.

A touch fuller, just outside off. Pratika Rawal punches it toward the right of the diving cover fielder. Sweeper cover moves to her left and mops it up. Single taken.

Short of a length, wide outside off, Harleen Deol knocks it to cover.

Fuller, on middle, Harleen Deol clips it to backward square leg and gets across for a single. 

On a length, outside off, Pratika Rawal cuts it to point.

Pitches it up, on off, Rawal blocks it back to the bowler.

FOUR! Easy as you like! Much fuller, around the pads of the batter. Pratika Rawal steps across the line and rolls her wrists to clip it away from the square leg fielder for a boundary. 

FOUR! Pure placement! Good-length delivery, keeping the line just outside off, Pratika Rawal strides out and opens the face of the bat before guiding it toward the right of the diving point fielder for the boundary. 

A touch fuller, well outside off, Pratika Rawal attempts to guide it away, but withdraws her willow at the very end.

Fuller in length, outside off, Pratika Rawal drives it toward cover. The fielder misfields and the batter gets a single.

Pitches it up, outside off, Harleen Deol drives it to mid off. 

OUT! TAKEN! Just the start Zimbabwe were looking for. A wicket on the very first ball of the innings to set the tone for the visitors. Nomvelo Sibanda starts from over the wicket and bowls it on a back of a length, outside off. Yastika Bhatia tries to flat-bat it downtown, but she is early into the shot and ends up slicing it to mid on, where Francisca Chipare moves to her right and pouches the catch. India are 0/1, chasing 132 runs.

On a length, outside off, Harleen Deol taps it to the left of covers and gets off the mark with a single.

Good-length delivery, at the stumps, Pratika Rawal punches it from her back foot to cover.

Fuller, on off, Pratika Rawal defends it down the deck.

Back of a length, just outside off, Pratika Rawal hangs back and punches it to sweeper cover for a single.

Short of a length, into the corridor of uncertainty. Harleen Deol dabs it to cover. A wicket and just two runs from the first over. Excellent start from Nomvelo Sibanda.