Rodrigues guides India to record ODI total and series win over Ireland

Jemimah Rodrigues fashioned her maiden ODI ton as India registered a 116-run win in the second ODI against Ireland to claim a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match ICC Women’s Championship series.

Winning the toss and batting first, India Women posted 370 - their highest-ever ODI total - beating the previous best of 358, which was also against Ireland back in 2017.

Stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana (73) and Harleen Deol (89) also scored big on the day, helping the hosts post a commanding total.

After Mandhana got India off to a strong start, Deol combined alongside Rodrigues to add 183 runs for the third wicket.

But just as Deol was verging towards her century, Arlene Kelly broke the stand. Rodrigues though, went on to bring up her ton in the final over, stabbing a boundary off Kelly through the off-side.

Opening up on her first hundred, Rodrigues said, "I am relieved. I am used to scoring hundreds in domestic, (but a lack of centuries in international cricket) was bothering me.

“Sometimes you get a lot of overs, sometimes you don't. I had to get back to how I used to play in my U19s, because I have played a lot of T20s.”

Defending a mammoth total, the Indian bowlers saw the game through with Deepti Sharma closing the game as the pick of the bowlers - bowling figures of 3/37.

For Ireland, Christina Coulter Reilly was the standout with the bat, scoring 80 off 113 deliveries as the wickets kept falling at the other end.

With another win and a game in hand in the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship cycle, India are second in the 10-team points table, four points behind Australia, who clinched the title for a third successive time.