Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur put together India’s biggest partnership in the Women’s World Cup on Saturday with a 3-0 win over Australia.
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s two best batters in the Women’s World Cup, teamed up on Saturday. Saturday’s encounter against West Indies at Seddon Park in Hamilton saw the achievement. It was Mandhana and Harmanpreet’s 184-run fourth-wicket partnership that broke the previous record of Thrush Kamini and Punam Raut. In the 2013 Women’s World Cup in India, Kamini and Raut had scored 175 runs, also against the West Indies.
Two centuries by Mandhana and Harmanpreet aided India’s recovery after losing three wickets in rapid succession to reach a total of 317 for eight in 50 overs.
Both Mandhana and Harmanpreet scored in the high single digits, with the former getting the better of the latter with a score of 107-ball 109.
Opener Yastika Bhatia led India to a quick start in Hamilton after the visitors elected to bat first. Just 21 balls were bowled before Bhatia struck 31. In the seventh inning, Shakera Selman struck.
Mithali Raj (5), India’s captain, was out in the 10th over with a score of 58/2. Anisa Mohammed then took out Deepti Sharma in the 14th over.
Indian opener Smriti Mandhana and middle-order batsman Harmanpreet Kaur forged an important partnership in the face of India’s woes. At the 25-over mark of their innings, India had reached 125 for three.
The pair struck a century partnership in the 33rd over as they hammered the WI bowlers around the Seddon Park wickets. In the 40th over, Mandhana scored her second World Cup tonne of the tournament against the West Indies.
In the 43rd over, Shamilia Connell sent centurion Mandhana back to the pavilion, breaking the Indians’ deadly partnership. Harmanpreet’s tonne came in the 47th over after the Indian opener was dismissed cheaply. Richa Ghosh left the game after being thrown out in the first inning.
Pooja Vastrakar, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jhulan Goswami were all bowled in the final three overs of the game, and India was unable to secure a victory.
