Smriti Mandhana continued her red-hot form, scripting history during the second Women’s ODI between India and South Africa at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Mandhana’s incredible century in just 103 balls powered India towards a mammoth total, putting them on the cusp of a series win.
This knock follows her stellar performance in the first ODI, where she smashed a brilliant 117 off 127 balls, rescuing India from a top-order collapse and leading them to a resounding victory.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, South Africa might have had second thoughts after witnessing Mandhana’s batting masterclass. The Indian vice-captain picked up right where she left off, registering another scintillating century. Her partner, Harmanpreet Kaur, also chipped in with a ton as the duo stitched together a 171-run partnership. India finished their innings with a commanding total of 325 runs on the board.
But Mandhana’s knock wasn’t just about the runs. She etched her name in the history books by becoming the first Indian woman cricketer to score consecutive centuries in ODIs. This feat joins a prestigious list that includes players like Amy Satterthwaite and Meg Lanning.
Mandhana’s historic knock also saw her equal Mithali Raj’s long-standing record for the most ODI centuries by an Indian woman cricketer. Remarkably, Mandhana achieved this milestone in just 84 innings, compared to Mithali’s 211. Additionally, all of Mandhana’s seven ODI tons have come while opening the batting, highlighting her dominance at the top of the order.
The knock of 136 not only brought her personal best in ODIs but also became the highest score by any Indian player on home soil. With her exceptional batting display, Smriti Mandhana has not only propelled India towards a series win but also cemented her place as a legend in Indian women’s cricket.
India was already ahead 1-0 in the ODI series now it is almost certain that they will win the second ODI. This is great start of the season for Indian women’s cricket team to have such quality performance against a competitive team like South Africa.
