India women’s team star cricketer Smriti Mandhana had a great day at the office as India beat West Indies by six wickets to claim the three-match ODI series 2-1. Mandhana, who was declared Player of the Match for her brilliant 74-run knock, registered a number of milestones on Wednesday.
Mandhana equalled New Zealand’s Suzi Bates’ record for most consecutive fifty–plus scores while chasing in ODIs. She went on to notch up her 9th consecutive fifty in while chasing in ODI cricket. Mandhana has scored 663 runs in her last 9 innings while chasing at a staggering average of 110.5.
Mandhana also became the second fastest Indian (both men and women) to reach 2000 ODI runs going past former India captain and now BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who had taken 52 innings. She took 51 innings to reach the milestone. Navjot Singh Siddhu too had taken 52 innings to reach 2000 ODI runs while current India captain Virat Kohli had taken 53. Only Shikhar Dhawan reached the milestone faster than Mandhana, taking 48 innings.
She has till now scored 2,025 runs in 51 ODIs at an average of 43.08. She has scored four centuries and 17 fifties till now in her ODI career.
Mandhana is also the third fastest in women’s cricket to get to 2000 ODI runs after Australia’s Belinda Clark and Meg Lanning.
Australia’s Belinda Clark holds the record for being the fastest batswoman to score 2,000 ODI runs. She had taken 41 innings and is followed by teammate Meg Lanning who required 45 innings to reach the landmark.
In men’s cricket, retired South Africa batsman Hashim Amla holds the distinction of being the fastest to 2,000-ODI runs. He had achieved the landmark in 40 innings.
Mandhana stitched a 141-run opening stand with Jemimah Rodrigues as India chased down the 195-run target with six wickets in hand at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Wednesday.
It was her first ODI since the home series against England in February and third half-century in a row, having scored 63 and 66 against the British team in Mumbai. Rodrigues, who had scored 41 in India’s defeat in the opening ODI, took 92 balls for her 69-run knock which had six boundaries.
Earlier, seasoned pacer Jhulan Goswami (2/30) and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2/35) shared four wickets between them, troubling the rival middle order after the West Indies elected to bat.
It was pacer Shikha Pandey and leg-spinner Rajeshwari Gaekwad, who removed the top-order as five of the six Indian bowlers in action, were among wickets.
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