NAVI MUMBAI: Around 7 PM on Thursday evening at the DY Patil Stadium, the umpires were having a chat with the two captains — New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and India’s Harmanpreet Kaur — next to the boundary ropes. The all-important World Cup match between the two teams had been put on hold for about 40 minutes because of rain. In the backdrop, one could still see lightning and thunder even as the covers were starting to come off.
However, long before the heavens opened up and put a halt to India’s crusade — they were 329/2 in 48 overs — another lightning struck New Zealand in the name of Smriti Mandhana. India's vice-captain came in, smashed a 95-ball 109 — her 14th ODI hundred — and put India in a dominating position.
The milestone moment came in the 31st over when Mandhana drove Jess Kerr for a single. She pumped her fist in the air midpitch, and so did her opening partner Pratika Rawal – who also scored a century under pressure and went past Belida Clark’s 970 to become second in the list of most runs in a calendar year (976). But once she was at the non-striker’s end, Mandhana let out a sigh of relief, removed her helmet and acknowledged the standing ovation from the dressing room. Earlier, when she reached her fifty, Renuka Singh Thakur showed a rough sketch of a peacock — which is pronounced ‘more’ in Hindi — to convey what the team wants. Soon, the number 100 was added to the sketch. And she obliged much to the delight of the dressing room and the 23,180 fans who had filled the stadium till 6.15 PM.
The sight of Mandhana scoring a century in ODIs is nothing new. It has been the norm. However, this one was special. This century meant more to her and the team. Coming into the clash, Mandhana had scored two 80s, but India went on to lose both games. After the defeat against England, a teary Mandhana took responsibility for the collapse in the press conference.
Another collapse against New Zealand would have been a massive blow for the Indian team in a home World Cup. Mandhana knew it all too well. On the eve of the match, after having a long stint with the seamers and spinners, she went to the centre-pitch, handpicked specific net bowlers and went onto hit them for a good 20 minutes.
On Thursday, after starting slow — she was on nine off 19 at one point — she got going. It began with a six over extra cover off off-spinner Eden Carson and soon, there was no looking back. She muscled Amelia Kerr over mid-wicket, caressed Jess between point and covers, before taking on Carson again. The fifty came in 49 balls, and from thereon, she only accelerated. It helped that she had got some bat on what was a close LBW call off Amelia. When the big screen showed the edge, the crowd let out a massive roar, and Mandhana obliged them with a few more stunning shots. Such was the onslaught that Devine was forced to bring on Suzie Bates, who hadn’t bowled a single delivery in the tournament.
None of it mattered as Mandhana was unstoppable — as she has been since the beginning of 2024. Last year, the Indian vice-captain amassed 747 runs in 13 innings at an average of 57.46 and a strike rate of 95.15. The ongoing one has only been better — 1259 runs in 20 innings, average of 62.95 and strike rate 111.41. Mandhana has married her omnipresent consistency with intent, and her strike rate has only helped Rawal flourish at the other end.
In many ways, the 29-year-old is at the peak of her prowess, and she has been smashing records almost every game at this point. She is only one century away from Meg Lanning’s record of 15 hundreds; already fourth on the run-getters list with South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt chasing her not too far behind. Without any exaggeration, the Indian is already an all-time great in the women’s game.
Though Mandhana started late in this World Cup, her last three innings are 88, 80 and 109 and with three more games to go — should India the final — she will only want to build from hereon.
For India needs ‘more’ from Smriti Mandhana in the next two weeks than they ever have to fulfil the dream of winning their first-ever ICC trophy.
