New Delhi: Star India opener Smriti Mandhana achieved a significant career milestone by crossing 7,000 international runs across formats when the southpaw reached three figures in the first of three ODIs against South Africa women at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. It was her sixth ODI hundred, second against South Africa and first at home. Legendary Mithali Raj leads the list with 10868 runs while Mandhana’s teammate and India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is in third with 6870 runs.
Opting to bat first, India women suffered an early collapse with half of the side back in the hut with just 99 runs on board in the 22nd over. The 27-year-old Mandhana stood tall against all odds in a masterful display of resilience and skill. She forged a crucial 81-run partnership with Deepti Sharma (37) for the sixth wicket, propelling India past the 200-run mark. She reached her ton with a single off Masabata Klaas and put and end to the two-year century drought.
Mandhana’s last international century came against the West Indies during the 2022 ODI World Cup. Although she has been a consistent run-scorer across formats in the past two years, she narrowly missed out on reaching three-digit scores on several occasions.
The joy of scoring a ton!
A memorable knock from Smriti Mandhana!
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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 16, 2024
Earlier, the hosts struggled to find their footing with youngster Shafali Verma managing just seven runs at the top. Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet also couldn’t do much as they were dismissed for 10 and 17 respectively. Mandhana’s remarkable innings came to an end in the 47th over, while attempting a big shot over deep square leg off Klaas.
Their partnership set the foundation for a competitive score, showcasing resilience and skill under pressure. For South Africa, pacer Ayabonga Khaka was the pick of the bowlers with 3/47, while Klaas snared two wickets for 51 runs. Additionally, Mandhana surpassed Harmanpreet (5) for most ODI hundreds for an Indian in women’s game by an active cricketer, further solidifying her status as a prolific run-scorer on the global stage.
