Smriti Mandhana named first Indian woman to score ton in D/N Test
India women’s cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian woman to score a century in a pink-ball test on Friday when she played a 127-run knock against Australia in a one-off pink-ball test.
This is also the first century by an Indian woman on Australian soil.
The southpaw, who was 80 not out overnight, maintained her composure to reach the landmark on Day Two in Carrara, Queensland. She took 171 balls to cross the triple-digit mark and got out for 127 runs. India progressed to 231/3 in the second day’s opening session. At the dinner break, India were strongly placed, having started the proceedings at 132 for one.
Mandhana made 127 off 216 balls with the help of 22 boundaries and a six at the Carrara Oval, and added an Indian record of 102 runs in Australia for the second wicket with Punam Raut (36), continuing the good work after putting on 93 with Shafali Verma on a rain-marred opening day.
She brought her century with a short-arm pull shot off Ellysse Perry in the 52nd over. Mandhana wouldn’t have added to her overnight score of 80 in the second over of Day 2 but Perry overstepped. Replays showed that the catch too might have been debatable.
The Maharashtra cricketer headlined the opening day with a career-best 80 not out which had elegance written all over it as the Indian women’s cricket team finished on 132 for 1.
Mandhana, who peppered the off-side field repeatedly with some gorgeous shots to reach 80 off 144 balls with 15 boundaries and a six, added 93 for the opening stand with Shafali Verma (31 off 64 balls), who played the second fiddle during their partnership.
Most of the second session’s play was washed out but Mandhana added another 16 runs to surpass her previous best of 78.
Brief scores:
India 1st innings: 231/3 in 84 overs (Smriti Mandhana 127; Sophie Molineux 2/22).
