In the first ODI between India and South Africa Women at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Smriti Mandhana made history with a remarkable innings, setting several records along the way.
India, opting to bat first, faced early challenges as they stumbled to 99 for five. Mandhana, the vice-captain, showcased her class by steadying the innings. She reached her half-century in 61 balls and continued to build, eventually reaching her sixth ODI century in 116 balls. This century was particularly significant as it marked her first ODI hundred at home and also became the highest ODI score by an Indian woman at home, surpassing Mithali Raj's 109 against West Indies in 2011.
Mandhana's innings of 117 off 121 deliveries included 12 boundaries and a six before she was dismissed by Masabata Klaas in the 47th over. Her knock not only anchored India to a competitive total but also propelled her past 7000 runs across formats, making her only the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to achieve this milestone.
Additionally, Mandhana surpassed her captain Harmanpreet Kaur to become the second-highest century-maker in ODIs among Indian women, with six centuries to her name. She is now just one century shy of equaling Mithali Raj's record of seven ODI hundreds.
India concluded their innings at 265 for eight in their allotted 50 overs, with Pooja Vastrakar's unbeaten 31 providing valuable support to Mandhana's efforts. This total stands as India's second-highest against South Africa at home, setting up an intriguing contest in the rest of the series.
Most runs in women’s cricket across formats:
10868 – Mithali Raj (India) 10273 – Charlotte Edwards (England) 9904 – Suzie Bates (New Zealand) 8940 – Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) 8352 – Meg Lanning (Australia) 7059 – Smriti Mandhana (India)