INDvsSL: Mandhana shines as Indian eves scripts a win in the first ODI: After the men have ‘done and dusted’ it was the turn of the women’s Team India to have the better of their counterpart from the Emerald Isle.
Taking on the Lankan eves in the first of the three-match ODI series at the JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi, Mithali’s girls’ handed them a 107-run defeat to go up 1-0 in the series.
Put into bat, the hosts had a great opening partnership of 71 runs between 19-year old Smriti Mandhana and Thirush Kamini (23) in 18.5 overs. This was the best partnership for any wicket in the match when Kamini departed.
Joined by the skipper, Mithali Raj in the middle, Mandhana went on to register her fifth ODI half-century. Facing 81 deliveries, aided by 8 fours, she went on to score 55 runs and had another valuable partnership of 26 runs in 8.1 overs for the second wicket.
Mithali Raj fell short of her 40th ODI half-ton by a solitary run, but not before scoring 49 runs off 74 deliveries with 6 fours and establishing a 62-run third wicket partnership in 14.5 overs alongwith Harmanpreet Kaur.
Kaur scored exactly 50 runs in 61 deliveries with 4 fours and 1 six. This was her 8th ODI half-century. She also went on to add another 45 runs with Jhulan Goswami (20) for the fourth-wicket.
Indian innings ended at 245 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 50 overs.
Except the left-arm medium pacer, Udeshikha Prabhodhani (10-0-38-2) and the skipper-off-spinner, Shashikala Siriwardene (8-0-31-2), no other bowler could have any impact on the Indian batswomen. The Lankan skipper tried as many as seven bowlers to unsettle the Indians.
The Indian leg-spinner, Poonam Yadav, spearheaded the bowling attack and picked up as many as 4 wickets, giving away 22 runs in 7.2 overs, She was ably assisted by the medium pacer, Deepti Sharma (8-0-20-2) and the left-arm spinner, Rajesihwari Gayakwad (10-1-31-2) in demolishing the Lankan chase.
Only the opener-wicketkeeper, Prasadani Weerakkody, could withstand the onslaught of the Indian bowling attack. She went on to score a patient 69 runs off 113 deliveries with 7 fours and was the 9th wicket to fall. She held on to one end and kept the score board ticking, while the wickets tumbled at the other end. In the process she registered her second ODI half-century.
The Lankan women were bundled out for 138 runs in 45.2 overs and India won the game by a huge margin of 107 runs.
The left-handed batswoman, Smriti Mandhana, who made her ODI debut against England in August 2014, has already featured in 18 games and has scored 593 runs at an average of 32.94 with 102 runs as her personal best. This knock came on a losing cause in the second of the three-match ODI series against Australia at Hobart, early this month.
Mandhana has also featured in a couple of Test matches. With her flamboyant batting style and the way she builds up her innings, this youngster has become la integral part of the Indian batting unit in the limited-over formats.
Mandhana was awarded the Player of the Match for her knock.
