Chasing 198, India raced to 200/1 in just 27.1 overs, winning with 137 balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the series and give Smriti Mandhana a winning start to her tenure as full-time ODI captain.

Rawal struck 100 not out off 96 deliveries, including 15 fours, to register her third ODI century. Shafali Verma, pushed down to No. 3 from her customary opening position, smashed an unbeaten 64 off just 33 balls as the pair stitched together an unbroken 106-run partnership for the second wicket.

“It was a happy day today. Good to be back in the room, always good to score runs and contribute to a team’s victory by batting as long as I can,” Rawal said after being named Player of the Match.

India’s bowlers laid the foundation for the comprehensive victory by dismissing Zimbabwe for 197 in 49.5 overs. Charani was the standout performer, finishing with 4/23 in her 10 overs, including three maidens. Kranti Gaud claimed three wickets for 42 runs, while Deepti Sharma picked up two.

Zimbabwe lost Loryn Phiri for one run before Charani removed Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (21) and Modester Mupachikwa (25) to disrupt the visitors’ progress. Beloved Biza offered resistance with a patient 62 off 92 balls, striking five boundaries, but struggled to accelerate consistently.

Charani returned to dismiss Nyasha Gwanzura for 13 and Michelle Mavunga for 29, completing an impressive spell. Mavunga had briefly lifted the scoring rate with a brisk knock featuring three fours and a six, but Kranti and Deepti ensured Zimbabwe could not build a substantial total.

Mandhana praised her bowling unit, singling out Charani while acknowledging the pacers’ contributions.

“Coming into a different ground, the bowlers adapted well. Shree Charani was the standout, but the pacers too — Kranti, to mention one among all bowlers,” the India captain said.

However, Mandhana identified room for improvement in fielding and in the middle overs.

“We are playing 50 overs after a very long time, so the period between overs 20-35 we could’ve had more intensity on the field. We’ll work on that,” she added.

India’s reply began positively, with Rawal and Mandhana putting on 94 for the opening wicket. Rawal set the pace early, reaching 43 off 37 balls as India raced to 72 without loss in the first 10 overs. She survived a dropped chance on 46 before continuing to find the gaps, particularly through the off side.

Mandhana made 32 off 34 deliveries before falling to Olinder Chare in the 16th over. Shafali then joined Rawal and immediately changed the tempo, bringing up her half-century off just 29 balls.

Her assault included four sixes, and she took 20 runs off Chare’s seventh over to leave India needing only 12 runs for victory, with Rawal 10 short of her century.

Rawal completed her hundred with consecutive fours off Tendai Makusha in the 27th over before Shafali struck the winning boundary off Nyasha Gwanzura.

Reflecting on her return after a period away from the game, Rawal said accepting setbacks and keeping things simple had been central to her approach.

“First thing is to accept that injuries and breaks are part of the game, so no use stressing over it. I do have a good support system,” she said.

She also acknowledged that the innings was not flawless. “It wasn’t a perfect innings, and as a batter you have to learn from that. But it was one of those days when the ball went where I wanted it to. Luckily, it turned out really good today.”

Mandhana described the batting display as a “masterclass from Pratika and Shafali” and highlighted the importance of communication as India adjusted to the 50-over format and integrated new players.

With Charani’s disciplined spin and the contrasting brilliance of Rawal and Shafali, India delivered a convincing opening statement. Zimbabwe will need a stronger batting performance to challenge the hosts in the second ODI.