Birthday special: Smriti Mandhana – 5 Best knocks for India
Smriti Mandhana has gone on to emerge as one of the Indian women’s team’s star batters across formats ever since her international debut in 2013. She was the sole Indian to feature in ICC’s Women’s T20I Team of the Year 2021 for scoring 255 runs from nine matches including two half-centuries. As the southpaw celebrates her 27th birthday on July 18, here’s a look at five of her best knocks for India.
5) 83 vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2018
This was one of Mandhana’s big-match knocks in a mega event. A Women’s T20 World Cup 2018 group fixture against mighty Australia saw her score a blistering 83 runs off 55 balls at a strike rate of almost 151. While she did miss out on a deserving ton, the knock helped India post 167/8 and eventually register a 48-run win.
4) 106* vs West Indies, Women’s World Cup 2017
Chasing 184, Smriti Mandhana took matters into her own hands as she scored a fantastic century. The southpaw scored an unbeaten 106 as India comfortably got past the West Indies in the 2017 Women’s World Cup 2017 group fixture. She was adjudged the Player of the Match.
3) 135 vs South Africa, 2018
Smriti Mandhana went on to register her highest ODI score in this match. She also registered the fourth-highest score by an Indian woman batter in the ODI format in the process as the Women in Blue posted 302/3 on the board. It was more than enough as the Proteas were bundled out for just 124 and India registered a comprehensive 178-run win.
2) 105 vs New Zealand, 2019
Chasing 193 in the first ODI in January 2019, Smriti Mandhana was in business right from the word ‘go’ and went on to score a match-winning 105 from 104 deliveries. She was involved in a 190-run opening stand along with Jemimah Rodrigues. This partnership also marked the highest opening partnership by any pair against New Zealand as they crossed the finish line in just 33 overs.
1) 127 vs Australia, 2021
This is arguably the best knock of Smriti Mandhana’s international career so far which came against Australia in a one-off Test match at the Carrara Oval in September-October last year. She scored a sparkling 127, taking the lethal Australian bowlers to the cleaners at regular intervals.
Courtesy of her century, Smriti became the first Indian women’s cricketer to register a Test ton in Australia and more importantly in a Pink-Ball Test match as well. Mandhana’s knock ensured that the match ended in a hard-fought draw.
