Smriti Mandhana has emphasized the significance of lower-order partnerships in commanding victory
India Women’s star opener Smriti Mandhana, who dazzled with a magnificent 117 off 127 balls against South Africa on Sunday (June 16), opened up about her tendency to fall just short of centuries.
Despite boasting six ODI hundreds, including her maiden one on home soil, Mandhana has endured 13 scores between 70 and 100, with four of them remaining unbeaten.
“In ODI cricket, it’s all about playing according to the ball,” Mandhana reflected.
“I got off to a good start, timing the ball well… when you hit two cover drives in the first over, it always boosts your confidence.
Whenever I looked to accelerate, there was a wicket, perhaps that helped me stay focused at the crease longer.
I tend to get a bit restless in the 80s and 90s, but today, every time I thought of going after the bowlers, a wicket fell.”
“I started with a strike rate of 90, but had to rein in my shots in the middle overs, faced a few dot balls but remained composed.
Deepti and Pooja really supported me during that phase.
Although I faced some cramps, I’m delighted that we managed to cross 250,” Mandhana added.
India found themselves in a precarious position at 99 for 5 in the 22nd over after the dismissal of Richa Ghosh.
Mandhana emphasized that losing early wickets spurred her to build crucial partnerships with Deepti Sharma (81-run stand in 15.2 overs) and Pooja Vastrakar (58-run stand in 9 overs).
“It wasn’t our plan to be 90-5.
But when Deepti joined me, we decided to consolidate and build a partnership.
The field was spread out, so we focused on rotating the strike without taking undue risks.
That was our conversation, to build a substantial partnership in the next 7-8 overs.
By the time Deepti got out, the ball was keeping low.
Pooja came in and eased the pressure off me with a boundary off her first ball,” Mandhana explained.
Debutant leg-spinner Asha Sobhana shone with figures of 4 for 21 at her WPL home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Mandhana lauded Sobhana’s progress and admitted to finding her challenging even in the nets, despite having a favorable left-handed matchup against her.
“I’ve witnessed Asha’s journey over the last two years.
I remember seeing her play the Challengers’ Trophy in 2017 or 2018, and being impressed by her ability to turn the ball.
Today, her bowling was exceptional, turning the ball sharply.
Facing her in the nets, as a left-hander against a leg-spinner, is no easy task.
It’s tough to go over the top against her,” Mandhana praised.
Reflecting on Sobhana’s performances during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) preparations, Mandhana highlighted her resilience and strength as a leg-spinner.
“The first thing I noticed during WPL preparations was how difficult it was to score freely against Asha.
Despite my fondness for leg-spinners, she made it incredibly challenging, which speaks volumes about her skill,” Mandhana concluded.
India Women will face South Africa in the second ODI on June 19 in Bengaluru.
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