New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Team India opener Pratika Rawal has adapted to the team setup very well and quickly. She has been making progress ever since her debut for the Women in Blue, and continued to showcase her batting form against Australia in the first ODI on Sunday.

With Shafali Verma struggling to find her mojo, Smriti Mandhana found herself a capable partner in Rawal when the 25-year-old made her debut against the West Indies in December 2024.

The duo has been delivering impressive performances for India in ODIs, with their recent notable partnership coming against Australia, where the duo entered their name in the history books by breaking the world record of adding the most runs for any wicket by any pair in a calendar year.

In 2025, Smriti and Pratika have 958 partnership runs. They broke Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley’s record, who added 905 runs in 2000.

Rawal was the top scorer for India in the ODI series opener against Australia on Sunday. She scored 64 runs off 96 balls and shared a brilliant 114-run stand with Mandhana.

Speaking about the same on JioHotstar, Pratika said, “I enjoy batting with her more than she enjoys batting with me, so it’s always great, especially the way she plays and takes on every ball. It’s just so amazing to see.”

India and Australia kicked off their three-match series with the visitors securing an easy win to take a 1-0 lead. While India’s overall performance was questioned, Mandhana and Rawal’s opening partnership stood out.

India’s bowling attack performed exceptionally well against England in their previous series. The bowlers played a crucial role during the team’s campaign as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side defeated Nat Sciver-Brunt and her team 2-1 in the ODI series and 3-2 in the T20I series.

However, they failed to replicate their performance against Australia, as the visiting side won the series opener by nine wickets. Pratika exuded confidence in her team’s bowlers and spoke highly about the spin attack.

“We have an amazing spin side, and the way the bowlers have been bowling this year, I think it’s going to be great for us,” Rawal stated.

India will conclude their home series against Australia on September 20 and kick-start their ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign on September 30 against Sri Lanka in Guwahati.

— IANS

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