CHENNAI: There is a famous bridge that connects the city of Sangli with the rest of the world on the river Krishna called Irwin Bridge. Built in the early 1900s, named after then-Viceroy Lord Irwin, it became a reality after the devastating floods of 1914 and 1916. It is also said that the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Late Vasantdada Patil who led the freedom struggle in Western Maharashtra himself jumped into river Krishna from Irwin Bridge when he was chased by the British army. The red-colored stone bridge still stands tall close to completing 100 years having seen multiple floods since its completion. Ask anyone from Sangli and they will tell you how special that bridge is.
Smriti Mandhana comes from the same place as the iconic bridge. She might not have seen as much history unfold as the bridge has, but she sure has stood up for her team time and again. And the calendar year of 2024, especially in ODIs has proved it again. On Sunday, batting at the newly built Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara where she scored 91 runs and went past South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt to score the most runs in the calendar year as India defeated West Indies in the first ODI by a whopping 211 runs, it was proved once again.
Mandhana left 2023 on a high with 112 runs across two innings as India defeated Australia in a one-off Test match at Wankhede. By her standard, it was a lean year as she scored 140 runs in four ODIs and 433 in 18 T20Is. The left-hander finished behind Jemimah Rodrigues with 573 runs across both white-ball formats. And the way she started against Australia in the white-ball series at the start of the year did not specifically indicate that there will be any change in the way she has batted. Despite bravely facing Ashleigh Gardner and Darcie Brown, two Australians who have frequently troubled her, the aggression against Alana King did not go well. In the final ODI of the series, in the chase of 339, she again fell early.
A break in the international calendar following that series and a successful season at the Women's Premier League did change a few things for India's vice-captain. She had credited the dedicated batter's camp at the National Cricket Academy before the home series against South Africa for unlocking her potential. "I always believe in prepping well and working really hard when people don't watch. I think that was what really helped me and the whole team to come out here and play with a lot of confidence," Mandhana had said at the end of the successful multi-format series in Chennai.
In that seven-match series, every time Mandhana took a strike, she looked a different batter. She was ready for aggression, but not from the word go. Her batting style, which oozes elegance and is easy on the eyes, took center stage in the early overs before the thumping strokeplay came into the picture. Two back-to-back centuries and a score of 90 made sure the 28-year-old was leaving no stone unturned in turning her year around. Other than South African debutant Annerie Dercksen, no one bothered her too much in the ODIs.
When the caravan moved to Chennai for the Test and T20Is, Mandhana continued what she had done in Bengaluru. Patience and faith. She was exceptionally calm in the way she faced the red ball and had complete faith in her preparation. There was of course some aggression in the way she batted in T20Is, but in her own words, she was aiming to have control over it.
"I wouldn't say that it's out-and-out aggression. Just controlled aggression more. Respecting the conditions and playing according to them is a bigger topic we talk about rather than just going out and hitting. When under pressure, maybe take the aggressive option, but always control aggression. I think we have to be smart. I feel control aggression is something that we are looking at in the next two months," Mandhana had said before leaving for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
What followed in the continental tournament, followed by the global one in UAE, was not something Mandhana or India would have imagined. However, the moment New Zealand landed in Ahmedabad for the three-match ODI series, India had to keep the disappointment of the T20 World Cup behind and concentrate on the one that's coming next year, that too on the home soil. The left-hander again came baring runs to add her third century of the year to stay ahead of the pack. Her template of "Start low, go slow. Rise higher, catch fire" was back in action again as India bagged the series 2-1.
The Australia series, earlier in December 2024, was a real litmus test for not just Mandhana, but the Indian team to see if they can challenge one of the most dominant ODI sides ever. While India lost 0-3 to Tahlia McGrath-led side, her century in Perth was one of the few highlights for India along with Arundhati Reddy's four-wicket haul. The individual performances might have provided the silver linings, but still, the fact that India were quite clueless against Australia would hurt them the most.
West Indies, with their evolving bowling attack, were always going to find it hard to contain the Mandhana juggernaut. And that is exactly what happened in T20Is at the DY Patil Stadium and the first ODI. By the time she got out for 91 off Zaida James, she had already scored the most international runs in a calendar year.
2024 has been a mixed bag of a year for the Indian women's team. With a dominating series win against South Africa and a T20I series win on home soil after five years aside, it was a bleak year. Failing to defend the Asia Cup and returning home without even making it to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup would sting the most. However, it wasn't for lack of trying from one of India's reliable batters.
Cricket is a game where individual accolades do take a backseat if the team is not finding success. This individual success from Mandhana might look like a silver lining for now, but maybe the team can take a leaf out of her book going forward and aim for that elusive trophy.
There is a beautiful Marathi melody written about the river on which the Irwin bridge is standing. It loosely translated to this - the river Krishna is flowing at her own pace. She is not really concerned about what is happening on her banks. There is a difference between the tangible icons of the city Mandhana calls her home. What happens in her surroundings, does matter to her. Maybe that is the next phase of evolution for her and the team.
Brief scores: India 314/9 in 50 ovs (Mandhana 91; James 5/45) bt West Indies 103 all out in 26.2 ovs (Fletcher 24; Thakur 5/29) by 211 runs