In Sunday’s highly anticipated Women’s World Cup group match against Australia in Visakhapatnam, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana became the first player in women’s ODI cricket to reach 1,000 runs in a single calendar year.
In women’s ODIs, the 29-year-old opener also reached 5,000 runs, making her just the second Indian batter to do so after Mithali Raj.
She beat Suzie Bates’ 6,182 balls and Stafanie Taylor’s 129 innings to reach the milestone in 112 innings and 5,569 balls, making her the youngest and fastest to do so.
After a slow start to the event, the graceful left-hander came roaring back to form, hitting 80 off 66 balls (9x4s, 3x6s) and forming the competition’s first century opening partnership with Pratika Rawal, which amounted to 155 runs.
After hitting Australian left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux for four, six, and four in an over that yielded 16 runs, Mandhana, who started the day with 982 runs from 17 games, reached the 1,000-run milestone in the ninth over.
Mandhana surpassed Australia’s Belinda Clark, who set the record for most runs in a calendar year in women’s ODIs with 970 runs in 1997.
She got off to a good start in her innings, hitting a boundary off the final ball of Kim Garth’s opening over.
However, Molineux’s over was the highlight of the innings. Mandhana secured her spot in the record books by lofting the opening ball over mid-on for four, defending the next, and then launching the third ball for a six over long-on before hitting another boundary over square leg.
After Australia decided to bowl, Mandhana, who had earlier in the competition scored 8, 23, and 23 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa respectively, seemed like a totally different batter against her favorite rivals.
She batted with authority and fluidity, analyzing the field with accuracy and upsetting the Australian assault with her smooth drives and soaring strokes.
