Smriti Mandhana Pips Mithali Raj With Record-Breaking Ton, India Women Make Light Work Of 233 Chase In Series Decider

Smriti Mandhana slammed a sensational hundred in the ODI series decider against New Zealand as India Women beat White Ferns to clinch trophy.

Smriti Mandhana departed for 100 off 122 balls but made sure she put India on the verge of win.

Source : X/@BCCIWomen

Smriti Mandhana's ton helped India Women beat New Zealand in the third and final ODI of the three-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday (October 29). While the series was poised at 1-1 before the third fixture of the bilateral affair, Mandhana's 100 off 122 balls meant the hosts managed to claim the series 2-1, a result that could act as a balm on the wounds of India's group-stage T20 World Cup 2024 exit triggered by a loss against the same opposition in their campaign opener.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, New Zealand Women were bowled out for 232 in 49.5 overs with Brooke Halliday top-scoring with 86 off 96. In response, riding on Mandhana's hundred which has put her ahead of Mithali Raj in the list of most ODI hundreds by a batter in Women's ODIs, India chased down the total 4 wickets down, winning the match by 6 wickets.

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Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma Other Top Performers For India In IND-W vs NZ-W 3rd ODI

Even though Mandhana stole the show with a century, she wasn't the only star performer for the Women in Blue. Deepti Sharma played her part to perfection, finishing with figures of 3/39 in her 10 overs, also grabbing a sensational catch of her own bowling to get rid of Isabella Gaze in the process.

With the bat, it was captain Harmanpreet Kaur who remained unbeaten on 70 off 68 balls and made sure she got the job done after Mandhana got out with an India win in sight. It was fitting that the India captain scored the winning runs, getting the team past the winning line with a boundary.

The 117-run stand for the third wicket between Harmanpreet and Mandhana laid the foundation for an India win.