Opener Smriti Mandhana created history as she became the first Indian batter to score eight hundreds in Women's ODIs, with her effort helping India outplay New Zealand by six wickets in the third and final ODI of the three-match series that concluded at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Tuesday.
After New Zealand Women decided to bat first, Indian bowlers produced a clinical show to bowl out the visitors for 232 in 49.5 overs, where Brooke Halliday was the highest scorer for the visitors by scoring 86 off 96 balls, hitting nine boundaries and three maximums.
Seasoned off-spinner Deepti Sharma (3-39) and youngster Priya Mishra (2-41) shared five wickets between them for India as the hosts ensured that the White Ferns did not get a good total. Renuka Singh and Saima Thakor claimed one wicket each as Indians bowled well and fielded well, effecting two run-outs to restrict White Ferns to a modest total.
In response, Mandhana scored an exact hundred off 122 balls, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hammered an unbeaten 59 off 63 deliveries, and keeper-batter Yastika Bhatia contributed 35, as the Indian top order came good to help them reach 236/4 in 44.2 overs and win the match with 34 balls remaining.
India had won the first game by 59 runs against the newly-crowned T20 World Cup winner but lost the next one by 59 runs.
Star of the show was undoubtedly Smriti Mandhana as she scored her eighth hundred and surpassed Mithali Raj, Indian Women's player who holds the record for the most hundreds in ODIs. She anchored the innings well as India recovered from the loss of Shafali Verma early with the score being 16/1.
India reached 40/1 in the Power-play and with Mandhana gaining confidence reached fifty in the 13th over. The hosts added 76 for the second wicket through the partnership of Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia. Yastika was caught and bowled by Sophie Devine for 35. But for Mandhana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur proved to be another winning partner as she smashed six fours in her knock while making the hosts reach a powerful position.
With the third-wicket partnership running to 117 runs, Smriti and Harmanpreet virtually sealed Indian Women's victory over England in the match. Mandhana took 73 balls to get to her half-century. She then crossed the three-figure mark after facing 121 balls before being dismissed, bowled by a Hannah Rowe slower one that stayed low and knocked back the middle stump.
Harman, who faced 53 balls for her half-century, and Jemimah Rodrigues (22) took them to 232 as India cruised to a victory.
Earlier, Jemimah came up with a fine fielding effort to get Suzie Bates (4) run out as New Zealand lost their first wicket for 24 in the seventh over. Lauren Down (1) went in the following over and skipper Sophie Devine for 9 as the visitors were reduced to 36/3 in the 11th over. Georgia Plimmer (39) and Brooke Halliday kept the New Zealand Women's hopes alive but the visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Plimmer and Maddy Green fell in quick succession (15) as India sent back half the New Zealand batters with 88 runs on the board.
Halliday and Isabella Gaze (25) added 64 runs for the sixth wicket. Halliday completed her half-century in 73 balls. She got out for 199 and scored 86 off 96 balls as one of the three wickets of Deepti Sharma. The innings of New Zealand collapsed for 232, which proved not good enough on that day as Mandhana took India to a superb win.
Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 232 all out in 49.5 overs (Brooke Halliday 86; Georgia Plimmer 39; Deepti Sharma 3-39, Priya Mishra 2-41) Lost to India Women 236/4 in 44.2 overs (Smriti Mandhana 100, Harmanpreet Kaur 59 no, Yastika Bhatia 35; Hannah Rowe 2-47) by six wickets.
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