File image of Smriti Mandhana.© X (Twitter)
India opener Smriti Mandhana etched her name into the history book by becoming the second-highest run-scorer for the nation on Sunday. With her fighting hundred against South Africa, she went past the 7000-run mark and joined former India star Mithali Raj in the elite list. Mandhana played a fighting knock of 117 off 127 deliveries, which took her overall international tally to 7,059 runs. Her tally at the global stage is only bettered by former captain Mithali’s 10,868 runs.
While India captain Harmanpreet Kaur isn’t far behind from achieving the feat. She has 6,870 runs in the international circuit across all formats and could achieve the feat in the ongoing series against South Africa.
The Indian vice-captain stuck her sixth ODI ton and her first on the home soil. She surpassed skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s tally of five, and her record is only bettered by Mithali’s seven.
Mithali took 211 innings to hit seven centuries, and Harmanpreet racked up five centuries in 112 innings. Mandhana took just 83 innings to hit six hundreds.
After opting to bat, India struggled to get the scoreboard moving, but Mandhana kept things in their favour by pouncing on every available opportunity.
South Africa reduced India to 99/5, and Mandhana lifted the hosts from a peculiar situation with her counter-attacking knock.
Mandhana and Deepti Sharma stitched up a stand of 50-run, keeping the momentum going for India. Khaka then got her second wicket of the match as she provided her team with a big breakthrough, removing Deepti for 37.
In the 43rd over of the game, Mandhana slammed her 6th ODI century and her first ODI hundred at home.
An outstanding knock of 117 runs by Mandhana came to an end as she tried to pull her to the backward square leg fence but handed an easy catch to Sune Luus.
In the last over, India managed to gather 12 runs to take India’s score to 265/8.
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