India women scored their highest ever total in a home ODI today (June 19) as both Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur scored centuries against South Africa at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Mandhana followed up her century in the first match of the series with another in the second, as she powered to a record equalling seventh ODI hundred. She is now joint with Mithali Raj for the most centuries scored in women's ODIs for India, and joint 10th on the global list.
A dominating partnership between Mandhana and Kaur
After a slow start to the innings under cloudy skies in Bengaluru, India were 100-2 when Kaur and Mandhana came together at the end of the 23rd over. Mandhana reached her half century a couple of overs later, as the pair upped the scoring rate. The fifty partnership came up off 46 balls before the partnership really found its stride with 15 overs to go. Mandhana hit three consecutive fours off Nondumiso Shangase to take herself into the 90s.
Both batters benefitted from some sloppy fielding from South Africa. Masabata Klaas put down Harmanpreet Kaur on 41, a relatively simple chance bursting through her fingers. An over later Mandhana brought up her hundred. Having been 19 off 40 balls at one point in her innings, she scored the second 50 of her innings off just 33 balls. At the 40 over stage, India had accelerated to 207-2, the hundred partnership between Kaur and Mandhana coming up off just 90 balls.
Kaur brought up her own 50 off 58 balls, her 24th score of 50 or more in ODIs. She went on to accelerate as India pushed towards 300, a total India had never reached in a home ODI before. A 19 run over conceded by Klaas helped them on their way.
Plethora of records
Mandhana was eventually out for 136 off 120 balls with 18 fours and two sixes, her highest ODI score. Her previous best also came against South Africa, 135 back in 2018 at Kimberly. 136 is also the highest individual score in women's ODIs for India in India, and the fifth highest overall.
Kaur brought up her century in the final over of the innings after pushing India well past 300. She reached the milestone 87 balls, her sixth ODI hundred, with nine fours and three sixes. Her innings set the record for the highest strike rate for a player scoring over a hundred for India in a women's ODI in India (117.00), and the fourth highest strike rate for a centurion overall in women's ODIs for India - Kaur also holds two of the top three.
Highest ODI score at home
India finished their innings on 325-3, the highest score they've ever reached in a women's ODI in India and their third highest total overall.
Kaur and Mandhana put on a 171-run stand - the third-highest for the third wicket for India in women's ODIs. Their partnership also had the highest runrate for any stand of over a century or more for the third wicket for India in women's ODIs, and the fifth-highest for a century stand for any wicket.
It was also the fourth time two players scored a century in a women's ODI for India.
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