Mandhana’s ton goes in vain as India eves lost the 2nd ODI: A 109-ball 102 runs with the help of 11 fours scored by the Indian opener, Smriti Mandhana, her maiden century, came in a losing cause for the Indian eves, in the second ODI played at Hobart, as their Australian counterpart reached the target of 253 runs set, losing only 4 wickets with 20 deliveries to spare.
Winning the toss, the Indian women chose to bat. Losing Thirush Kamini (0) in the very first delivery of the match, the skipper Mithali Raj (58) joined Mandhana to put up a partnership of 150 runs in 30.5 overs for the second wicket.
This was the most defining partnership of the match that enabled India to pile up 252 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
No other significant individual contribution or partnership came up except for a rearguard action by Shikha Pandey, who scored an unbeaten 33* runs off just 30 deliveries with 3 fours and a six.
Mandhana’s half-century came in 59 deliveries with 7 fours and the century came in 106 deliveries with the help of 11 fours.
Aussie medium pacer, Elysse Perry, who claimed four wickets in the first encounter, in addition to scoring 90 runs, did the initial damage of dismissing Kamini in the very first delivery of the match. She also went on to pick up the wickets of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Gowami (5).
She ended with an analysis of 10-1-54-3.
Chasing the target, the Aussie openers, Nicole Bolton and the skipper, Meg Lanning established a first-wicket partnership of 138 runs in 22.3 overs for the first wicket scoring almost 55% of the required target.
While the skipper Lanning registered her 7th ODI half-century which came in 54 deliveries with 7 fours, Bolton registered her second ODI half century in 51 deliveries with fours.
Lanning, after scoring 61 runs was the first to go caught by the wicket-keeper, Sushma Verma off the bowling of Shikha Pandey. Bolton (77) followed her soon after another two overs. By this time a good platform was available for the other batters to go for the onslaught.
The third-wicket partnership of 44 runs in 9.4 overs between Elysse Perry (31) and Alex Blackwell (19) took them more closer to the target.
Finally the unbroken 60* runs partnership in 12.4 overs for the fifth-wicket between Jess Jonassen (29) and the wicket-keeper Alyssa Healey (29) put paid to whatever little hopes that the Indian women might have been harbouring of puling through a clincher and level the series, going into the final clash.
The Aussies cruised through to the target (253) with much ease, losing only four wickets in the bargain.
Shikha Pandey and Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed two wickets each giving away 42 and 50 runs respectively.
Even though the century came in a losing cause, Smriti Mandhana was awarded the Player of the Match.
With this win, the Australian women wrap up the 3-match series with a 2-0 lead.