Skipper Smriti Mandhana led from the front with a blistering century to help India hammer 400 runs for the first time in an ODI innings. The Indian women’s team created the landmark during the third and final ODI against Ireland at Rajkot on Wednesday.
In doing so, India became only the third team to score in excess of 400 in women’s ODI history. Previously New Zealand have scored more than 400 in an ODI innings four times – including the highest score of 491/4 against Ireland back in 2018. Australia scored 412 against Denmark back in 1997.
Electing to bat, India openers Mandhana (135) and Pratika Rawal (154) slammed destructive centuries to propel the team total past the elusive mark. Wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh, then blazed a quickfire half-century as India pushed hard in the death overs.
The innings comes only a game after India posted their highest-ever total in Women’s ODIs – 370/5.
In response, the Irish women failed to put up any resistance and folded up for 131 in 31.4 overs, thereby handing India a 3-0 series win after their mammoth 304-run victory in the final ODI. Deepti Sharma (3/27) and Tanuja Kanwar (2/31) were the pick of the Indian bowlers, but it was the effort of the India openers in the first innings that headlined the team’s victory.
Opening up on the milestone effort from the team, rookie opener Rawal said, “There was not much going on in my mind, we wanted to cross 400 and we managed to post around 430, so that’s really good.
Rawal’s 154 – her maiden international ton – is now the third-highest total by an Indian batter in women’s ODIs after Deepti Sharma’s 188 and Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171 not out. The 24-year-old forged a 233-run stand alongside Mandhana for the opening wicket.
“I was a bit slow when I was in my 70s, that 20-30 runs came slow but I covered it up later on,” Rawal conceded before crediting the skipper on revving up the scoring rate at the other end.
“It’s always a treat to watch her (Smriti Mandhana), she hits her shots with immense power, I don’t mind taking a backseat,” the youngster said.