Indian women’s cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana was on top of her game during the third and deciding ODI against Australia women at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Saturday. The southpaw broke an all-time record of Indian men’s cricket team star batter Virat Kohli. Mandhana became the fastest Indian to score an ODI century, breaking the record of Kohli. Interestingly, Kohli too had achieved the feat previously against Australia. He had smashed a 52-ball hundred in Jaipur in October, 2013. Mandhana surpassed Kohli with a 50-ball century on Saturday.
Mandhana, who was already the Indian woman to score fastest century in the format, has bettered her previous record of 70 balls. Overall, Meg Lanning is the fastest woman player to score an ODI century by achieving the feat in 45 balls. She had scored the ton against New Zealand in Sydney in 2012. Mandhana follows her at the second spot.
Thanks to Mandhana’s sensational knock and a powerful innings from Harmanpreet Kaur from the other end, India were 204/2 at the end of 20 overs in their chase of 413 runs against Australia.
Earlier, Beth Mooney produced a batting masterclass for ages by smashing a scintillating 138 as Australia zoomed their way to a gigantic 412, their joint-highest total in women’s ODIs, in the series-deciding game.
On a sweltering afternoon, Australia came out all guns blazing to conjure up a captivating boundary-hitting fest. They made full use of a flat pitch, short boundary sizes, quick outfield, and erratic Indian bowling plus fielding performances to put themselves in the driver’s seat for a 2-1 series win.
Skipper Alyssa Healy set the tone with a brisk 30 and put India bowlers under early pressure, before Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry carried the momentum forward with fluent knocks of 81 and 68, respectively. Beth Mooney hit the ground running from the word go and ensured Australia didn’t lose tempo by hitting boundaries quite regularly.
She toyed with the Indian attack to hit 23 fours and a six in her massive knock, as Australia also set a new record for their highest women’s ODI score against India. For India, it was a punishing day – the bowling attack looked short of ideas and the hosts were absolutely sloppy in ground fielding and catching. Though they got all ten Australian wickets, most of their breakthroughs came after the damage had been inflicted by the visitors’ top five batters.