Visakhapatnam, Oct 12: Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana etched her name in cricketing history on Saturday by becoming the first player in women’s One-Day Internationals (ODIs) to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year, achieving the feat during India’s Women’s World Cup group match against Australia here.
The 29-year-old opener also reached another major milestone, completing 5,000 runs in women’s ODIs, becoming only the fifth player — and the second Indian after Mithali Raj — to achieve the landmark.
Mandhana reached the milestone in record time, becoming the youngest and fastest to 5,000 runs — doing so in 112 innings and 5,569 balls, breaking Stafanie Taylor’s record of 129 innings and Suzie Bates’ mark of 6,182 balls.
Displaying her trademark elegance and power, Mandhana smashed a fluent 80 off 66 balls studded with nine fours and three sixes, and shared a 155-run opening stand with Pratika Rawal, the first century opening partnership of the tournament.
Starting the day on 982 runs from 17 matches, Mandhana brought up her 1,000-run milestone in the eighth over, when she tore into Australian left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, hitting her for four, six, and four in an over that yielded 16 runs.
In doing so, she also surpassed Australia’s Belinda Clark’s long-standing record of 970 runs in 1997, becoming the highest run-getter in a single calendar year in women’s ODIs.
Mandhana, who had endured a modest start to the tournament with scores of 8, 23, and 23 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa respectively, looked in sublime touch against her favourite opponents, after Australia opted to bowl.
She began her innings with a confident boundary off Kim Garth, and soon took charge — lofting, driving, and pulling with authority — to dismantle the Australian bowling attack.
With her latest heroics, Mandhana not only reaffirmed her stature as one of the world’s most consistent and stylish batters, but also scripted yet another golden chapter in Indian women’s cricket history.
Recent Comments