2nd WODI: Historic! Smriti Mandhana's ton helps India hand Australia their biggest-ever defeat

NEW CHANDIGARH: Inspired by peerless Smriti Mandhana’s scintillating 77-ball century - the fastest-ever against Australia in WODIs - India finally slayed their Aussie demons, ending their eight-match losing streak against the seven-time world champions in grand style with a thumping 102-run victory in the second WODI at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday night.

It is the heaviest defeat margin Australia have ever suffered in a WODI, and it ended their 13-match win streak in this format. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!It was India’s first victory over Australia in a WODI at home in 18 years, with the last one coming way back in 2007. India’s last win over the Aussies in WODIs came four years ago - on Sept 26, 2021 at Mackay. The magical comeback win also ensured that India equalised the series 1-1, with the third and final ODI in Delhi on Sept 20 now a blockbuster decider.

The resounding win against Australia, coming on the back of a successful tour of England, will also boost India’s morale ahead of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which kicks off on Sept 30 in Guwahati.

Fired by Mandhana’s glorious 91-ball 117, which included 14 sweetly-timed fours and four huge sixes and lit up the stadium, India posted a challenging total of 292 in 49.5 overs. Putting in a vastly improved display in the field, even though they again dropped a few catches, India then bowled out Australia for 190 in merely 40.4 overs.

Bouncing back from a poor show on Sunday night when India lost by eight wickets in the first WODI, impressive young seamer Kranti Goud took three for 29, including the final wicket, in 9.5 overs of incisive bowling, while off-s[pinner Deepti Sharma, who had earlier contributed a vital 40 (53b, 2x4), took two for 24 in six overs. The icing on the cake was pacer Arundhati Reddy’s three superb catches in the deep, a fine catch by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover to send back Annabel Sutherland (45, 42b, 4x4) and the brilliant caught and bowled grab by Radha Yadav to send back Alysse Perry for 44 (61b, 5x4). Choosing to dump their strategy of playing four spinners, India decided to play three seamers instead, bringing in an extra bowler in Reddy, while dropping left-arm spinner Shree Charani, in the mix. It helped India that the visitors rested explosive opener Phoebe Litchfield, who cracked 88 off 80 balls in the first WODI, choosing to give game time to Georgia Voll.Clearly, Madhana, who’s currently in blazing form, is set to be the biggest key for India in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which kicks off on Sept 30 in Guwahati.

However, there are a few concerns for India going into the mega tournament too. In the morning, it emerged that middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues had been ruled out of the remaining two matches of the series due to viral fever, even as Mandhana’s sizzling show with the bat helped the team overcome that setback. Seasoned pacer Renuka Singh Thakur finally returned from her long injury lay-off to play her first WODI in almost nine months, but, troubled by cramps/hamstring, couldn’t bowl further after taking one for 28 in 6.3 overs.

Another slight worry for India is the form of captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who sliced Australian off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner to backward point after making 17 off 26 balls. The 36-year-old has scored 28 runs in two matches in this series. Earlier, dominating the Aussie attack, Mandhana broke several records en route to her 12th WODI hundred, reaching the landmark with a lofted six over mid-off off Tahlia McGrath in the 29th over.

The previous-fastest century against Australia in WODIs was hit by England’s Nat Sciver (off 79 balls in the 2022 World Cup match at Hamilton). The 29-year-old also thrashed the second-fastest century by an Indian woman in ODIs, interestingly only behind her own 70-ball hundred against Ireland in Rajkot earlier this year in January. This was Mandhana’s third WODI hundred this year-she had stroked four centuries last year. Mandhana, who reclaimed the No 1 ranking in WODIs when she stroked 58 off 63 balls in the first match of the series, thus equaled the record for most women’s ODI centuries by an opener. The elegant southpaw equalled New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and England’s Tammy Beaumont with her 12th century in 106 innings as an opener for India since her debut in 2013. Overall, Mandhana stands joint-third on the WODI century-makers’ list, with only Meg Lanning (15) and Bates (13) ahead of her. This was Mandhana’s third WODI hundred against Australia, the most by any Asian batter in WODIs against them. She has now scored 15 international hundreds, again the most by an Asian batter in international women’s cricket.