‘A classy innings from the queen’ – Twitter reacts as Smriti Mandhana’s brilliant century helps India post a solid total

Smriti Mandhana. (Source – BCCI)

In a thrilling start to the South Africa Women’s tour of India, the first ODI saw India Women setting a competitive target of 265/8 in their allotted 50 overs. The innings was headlined by a magnificent century from Smriti Mandhana, whose knock of 117 runs anchored the Indian innings and was pivotal in taking the team to a respectable total.

India Women, after opting to bat first, faced early setbacks with Shafali Verma (7) falling to Masabata Klaas in the third over. Klaas continued to trouble the Indian top order, soon dismissing Dayalan Hemalatha (12), leaving India at a precarious 32/2.

However, Smriti Mandhana steadied the ship with a calculated and resilient innings. Despite the fall of regular wickets at the other end, Mandhana showcased her class with a mix of aggression and composure.

India’s middle order struggled to form substantial partnerships, with notable contributions coming only from Deepti Sharma (37) and Pooja Vastrakar (31*). Harmanpreet Kaur (10) and Jemimah Rodrigues (17) failed to convert their starts, while Richa Ghosh (3) and Radha Yadav (6) could not provide much resistance. Mandhana, however, stood tall amidst the chaos, completing her century off 116 balls, a knock that included a fine display of timing and placement.

Also Read: IND-W vs SA-W, 1st ODI: Asha Sobhana makes 50-over format debut as India elect to bat first in Bengaluru

Mandhana’s dismissal in the 47th over, caught by Sune Luus off Klaas, marked the end of a brilliant inning that had put India in a commanding position. 

For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for 47 runs in her ten overs. Klaas supported well with figures of 2/51. The bowling unit, led by Khaka and Klaas, kept the pressure on the Indian batters with disciplined lines and lengths. Annerie Dercksen and Nonkululeko Mlaba also chipped in with a wicket each, keeping the Indian scoring rate in check.

Here is how ‘X’ reacted to Mandhana’s fine century: