An emphatic batting performance from India, led by Jemimah Rodrigues’ maiden international century (102 off 91), gave the hosts a series 116-run win over Ireland in the second ODI with one game to spare. Jemimah’s masterclass led India to their highest-ever total in ODIs, 370 for 5, with the other three batters in the top order all hitting fifties. Harleen Deol (89 off 84), Smriti Mandhana (73 off 54) and Pratika Rawal (67 off 61) made a good fist of it on a narrower surface in Rajkot. Ireland mounted a decisive response, led by Coulter Reilly’s 113-ball 80, but in the end the hill proved too steep to climb.

75 points came from the first PowerPlay as Ireland’s bowlers were unpredictable from the start. There was a moment of respite for the visitors when Smriti and Pratika were dropped on successive deliveries, but the worry lines quickly resurfaced.

Jemimah and Harleen added 183 for the third wicket off 168 deliveries to deplete Ireland. Having come close to the three-figure mark a few times recently, Jemimah finally reached the milestone with a boundary in the last over of the innings, although Harleen missed her mark.

Although the pitch was light as a feather, Ireland needed a miracle to stay in the game. Skipper Gaby Lewis fell in the first ten overs as the Indian bowlers exerted control of the ball. Sarah Forbes attempted a 63-ball 38 but the innings lacked any momentum. Ireland’s lower half had fun reducing the defeat when Reilly fell in the 41st over.

India’s spin duo Deepti Sharma and Priya Mishra shared the spoils, with the former celebrating her 100th ODI with a precise spell. The final game of the series will be played at the same venue on Wednesday, January 15.

Brief scores: India 370/5 in 50 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 102, Harleen Deol 89, Smriti Mandhana 73) beat Ireland 254/7 in 50 overs (Coulter Reilly 80; Deepti Sharma 3-37, Priya Mishra 2-53) for 116 running.

The highly anticipated Maiden ODI Century 💯

The highly anticipated brand celebration 🎸

Rock star Jemimah Rodrigues then tells everything #TeamIndia‘s record day in Rajkot 👌👌 – By @mihirlee_58 #INDvIRE | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @JemiRodrigues pic.twitter.com/5dY9e3MIBM

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) January 13, 2025