3rd WODI; Rawal, Shafali slam match-winning fifties versus Zimbabwe: Stats
What's the story
India's women's cricket team has completed a clean sweep over Zimbabwe in the three-match ODI series. The final match, played in Vadodara, saw India accomplish a modest target of 132 runs with eight wickets and 198 balls to spare. While Vaishnavi Sharma's five-wicket haul laid the platform for India's triumph, Shafali Verma and Pratika Rawal's fifties sealed the deal for the hosts. Here we look at their performance and stats.
Chase strategy
Rawal, Shafali power India to victory
Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 131 runs in their innings as Vaishnavi finished with figures of 5/39.
In response, however, India lost Yastika Bhatia on the first ball of the innings.
Though Rawal and Harleen Deol then added 59 runs, the latter was trapped for 19.
Despite the early setback, Rawal and Shafali continued India's charge toward victory with a partnership of 74 runs in just 50 balls.
Record feat
Shafali's explosive batting leads India to comfortable win
Shafali dominated the partnership with Rawal, scoring five boundaries off her first 13 balls.
She hit three sixes in total, all coming after advancing down the track.
Her last six ended the chase and gave Shafali the record for India's second-fastest WODI fifty, off 26 balls. She equaled Richa Ghosh with this record.
Meanwhile, Rawal also continued her good work and smoked an unbeaten fifty.
Stats
Third successive 50-plus score for Rawal
Rawal slammed four fours and three sixes in her 56-ball 59*.
This was her third successive 50-plus score as the opener's first two outings in this series resulted in scores worth 100* and 61.
Across 30 WODI games, she now owns 1,409 runs at a sensational average of 54.19 (SR: 84.72).
Besides her three hundreds, Rawal has slammed 10 fifties.
Information
1,000 runs in home WODIs
Rawal also went past 1,000 runs in home WODIs during her stay. Across 18 games, she has amassed 1,040 runs at a jaw-dropping average of 69.33. She clocked her 10th fifty-plus score in home WODIs (100s: 3).
Shafali
Shafali's seventh fifty in WODIs
Shafali smashed an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls. She hammered six fours and three sixes.
The dasher, who slammed a 33-ball 64* in the opener, recorded her seventh Women's ODI fifty.
Across 35 matches, she owns 868 runs at 27.12.
As many as 329 of her runs have come in home WODIs.
She averages 32.9 from 12 matches (50s: 2).