Smriti Mandhana Equals Mithali Raj’s Record En Route Consecutive ODI Hundreds Against South Africa

Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana equalled former captain Mithali Raj’s record for most ODI hundreds for India as the Women in Blue piled up a mammoth 325/3 against South Africa in the second game of the three-match series on Wednesday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Both Mandhana and Mithali have seven each. The India opener, who had smashed a hundred in the first game too, scored 136 off 120 balls including 18 fours and two sixes. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur too scored an unbeaten hundred – her sixth in her career. Mandhana also became the first Indian woman to hit consecutive ODI tons.

Mandhana and Harmanpreet 103 not out (88b, 9×4, 3×6) milked 171 runs for the third wicket, and ran roughshod over the Proteas bowlers after being asked to bat first. South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s decision to have a bowl seemed vindicated as new-ball bowlers, Ayabonga Khaka and Masabata Klaas, found appreciable bounce and movement under overcast skies.

In fact, Khaka started with two maidens in a row as Mandhana, whom she later dropped on 69 off left-arm spinner Nondumiso Shangase, and Shafali Verma struggled for a move-on. India’s first boundary came only in the sixth over, a pull by Shafali off Klaas, but the opener departed soon after being ousted by left-arm spinner Noku Mlaba.

A period of consolidation followed as Mandhana and Dayalan Hemalatha added 62 runs for the second wicket in which the latter was the more dominant presence. Hemalatha (24), who clubbed Shangase for two sixes, looked good for more but her attempt to slog-sweep Klaas ended in the hands of Anneke Bosch.

However, the arrival of skipper Harmanpreet changed the complexion of the innings as run-rate of India, which was hovering around 4 till then, first soared past five and then six runs an over. Mandhana hammered Shangase for three fours in a row, a period which included a total of five fours across six balls, took her to the 90s.

Harmanpreet, who was grassed on 41 by Klaas off her own bowling, straightaway slipped into rhythm and pulled Sune Luus to start her scoring. The right-hander’s aggressive intentions only grew with the innings as she punished Klaas for a four and six in successive balls.

The SA bowlers tried to curtail the free-flowing Smriti, bowling wide off her off-stump. While the strategy was worth giving a go, they erred in line so much as the India vice-captain garnered a clutch of boundaries without much effort. She reached her hundred off 103 balls with a single off Luus, and later Harmanpreet joined her deputy with a boundary off Klaas in the final over. India plundered 118 runs in the last 10 overs, feeding on some shoddy bowling and fielding by the visitors.