Navi Mumbai: Smriti Mandhana (105) and Pratika Rawal (122) struck commanding centuries while Jemimah Rodrigues smashed an unbeaten 76 to propel India to a formidable 340 for three against New Zealand in their rain-affected Women’s World Cup match Thursday.
India’s progression was affected by a rain break, which caused a 90-minute delay, and the contest was truncated to 49 overs per side later.
With qualification for semifinals at stake and coming off a three-match losing streak, India cashed in on a benign track to register the highest score of the tournament, led by Mandhana.
Rawal made it count with her first World Cup hundred, which was made in a conventional manner, while forging two big partnerships — a record 212 runs with Mandhana for the first wicket and 76 runs with Rodrigues for the second.
Rodrigues, who was dropped from the last match as India favoured a sixth bowler, unleashed a flurry of fours to make the fastest fifty of this World Cup from 39 balls, eventually finishing with a 55-ball 76 with 11 fours.
Mandhana (109 off 95 balls, 10x4s, 4x6s) looked to be peaking at the right time with her third World Cup ton, first of this edition, with a spectacular six over cover off spinner Eden Carson, giving early indications of her prime form.
In hot and humid conditions, Mandhana and Rawal did not take too long to make New Zealand realise that perhaps it wasn’t the right call to ask India bat first.
While New Zealand began well with tidy spells, it all unravelled soon for the White Ferns who were sent on a leather hunt.
Mandhana was the aggressor among the two as her rich array of strokes — from delicate late-cuts to powerful strokes on the on-side — proved why she has been in a different league among Indian batters.
Mandhana’s 14th ODI ton was also her fifth in this calendar year as she also moved closer to breaking Australian great Meg Lanning’s record for most ODI centuries for any player (15).
With a resolute Rawal in tow, Mandhana raced to her third consecutive fifty in the 18th over and also brought up their century stand, which was their seventh overall in only 23 innings.
In fact, the partnership of 212 for the first wicket was not only the best for any wicket across the eight teams in this World Cup, but also for any wicket for India in World Cup history.
Rawal proved her credentials as a perfect foil to Mandhana, displaying commendable resolve to make her maiden World Cup ton and second three-figure knock overall.
The right-hander also displayed her intent to make it count with a big contribution even though she had 63 dot balls in her 134-ball 122, which was studded with 13 fours and two sixes. She eventually walked back in the 43rd over.
Rodrigues certainly provided the missing spunk at No. 3 as her brisk knock took the flight away from New Zealand who had managed their first breakthrough in the 34th over with the wicket of Mandhana.
Rodrigues was deft in both rotation of strike and picking boundaries on either side of the wicket while taking a liking for Eden Carson, who was hit for three fours in the 46th over.
