While the
hosts India Women completed a whitewash in the three-match WODI series against
South Africa Women, which was a part of the ICC Women’s Championship, India
Women’s star opener Smriti Mandhana created history with her incredible batting
performances. She recorded the most runs in a three-match bilateral WODI
series. She also recorded the most runs by an Indian batter in any bilateral
WODI series.
Before the
Sunday match for the last game of the three-match WODI series, India Women had
already secured the home series by winning the first two matches. Indian opener
Smriti Mandhana scored 117 runs and 136 runs, respectively, in the first two
games of the series. She also took a wicket in the second WODI, which was a
close high-scoring game that India Women won by four runs after scoring 325
runs.
The third WODI was also important for South Africa Women, as the match-winning points really mattered for them in the ICC Women’s Championship, a competition for direct qualification for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Meanwhile, India Women will host the tournament, so they have automatically qualified for the tournament.
Smriti Mandhana scored 343 runs in three matches with two centuries and one half-century
In the
third India Women vs South Africa Women WODI game, Indian bowlers dominated to
restrict the visitors to 215/8 in 50 overs.
Once again,
Smriti Mandhana batted strongly for her country. In the 216-run chase, Mandhana
hit a fifty and scored 90 off 83 balls with the help of 11 fours. Her batting
massively helped India Women win by six wickets with 56 balls remaining.
Mandhana was just 10 runs away from becoming the only second player in WODI
history to record more than two centuries in consecutive innings (New Zealand
cricketer Amy Satterthwaite recorded centuries in four consecutive WODI innings
between 2016 and 2017).
However, Smriti Mandhana won the Player of the Series award for scoring 343 runs and taking one wicket. The left-handed opening batter had a batting average of 114.33 and a strike rate of 103.93. She hit two centuries and one half-century in the three-match WODI series.
Most runs in a three-match bilateral WODI series
With her batting performance in the home WODI series against South Africa Women, Smriti Mandhana broke the record for the most runs in a three-match bilateral WODI series. The previous record was 335 runs by South African cricketer Laura Wolvaardt against the visitors Sri Lanka Women in April 2024.
Most runs by an Indian batter in a bilateral WODI series
Meanwhile, Mandhana also set a record for most runs by an Indian batter in any bilateral WODI series. The previous record was 309 runs by Jaya Sharma against New Zealand Women in a five-match WODI series in 2003.
