Pratika Rawal struck an unbeaten 100 off 96 balls as India thrashed Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the first ODI in Vadodara, chasing down 198 with 22.5 overs to spare to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. Shafali Verma (64* off 33) finished the job with a flurry of sixes after Shree Charani's career-best figures of 4 for 23 and Kranti Gaud's 3 for 42 had helped bowl Zimbabwe out for 197 in 49.5 overs. Beloved Biza top-scored for the visitors with 62.

Opting to bat on a flat pitch, Zimbabwe lost Loryn Phiri in the third over when Kranti held on to a diving return catch, but India's fielding let them down more than once in the early exchanges. Richa Ghosh dropped Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano in the same over while Deepti Sharma spilled Modester Mupachikwa at slip off debutant Jintimani Kalita’s bowling in the eighth over as Zimbabwe trudged to 46 for 1 after the Powerplay.

The pace of the game turned quickly once Charani came on to bowl. She began with a maiden and then trapped Mugeri-Tiripano LBW with her first ball of the next over. Charani then removed Modester Mupachikwa, bowling her fourth over on the trot, the batter miscuing a lofted drive to mid-off.

When Deepti had Sharne Mayers caught soon after, Zimbabwe were reeling at 70 for 4 but Biza held the innings together from there, adding 43 with Nyasha Gwanzura for the fifth wicket and reaching her fifty in the process. Michelle Mavunga gave the innings a late push with 29 off 23, including a six over midwicket off Sayali Satghare, but Kranti dropped her at deep midwicket on 20 before Charani eventually had her caught by Kalita.

Breaking of that 40-run stand set off a collapse of three wickets for three runs, with Shafali trapping captain Nomvelo Sibanda LBW and Kranti having Biza caught at mid-off. The last pair added 14 before Deepti bowled Tendai Makusha with one ball of the innings left.

India's openers made light work of the chase. Pratika hit two fours in the first over while Smriti Mandhana (32) found her timing at the other end as India raced to 72 without loss after 10 overs.

Pratika, dropped on 45 at midwicket, reached her fifty off 54 balls, with the opener adding 94 before Mandhana was caught at long-on. Shafali then took over, lofting Chare for three sixes in a 20-run 26th over to bring up her fifty off 29 balls.

Pratika reached her third ODI hundred with a boundary in the 27th over as the 106-run stand, which came off only 70 balls, delivered India to a facile win.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe Women 197 in 49.5 overs (Beloved Biza 62; Shree Charani 4-23, Kranti Gaud 3-42) lost to India Women 200/1 in 27.1 overs (Pratika Rawal 100*, Shafali Verma 64*; Olinder Chare 1-58) by 9 wickets.