India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana added another milestone to her glittering career during the Women’s T20 World Cup clash against the Netherlands on Wednesday. The left-hander became the first player across men’s and women’s T20 internationals to hit 600 fours, reaching the landmark while leading India’s charge with the bat.Mandhana continued her rich vein of form with a fluent 74 off 47 balls, registering her second successive fifty-plus score in the tournament. She found an able partner in Shafali Verma, who smashed 55 off 38 deliveries to record her maiden half-century of the competition.The opening pair dominated the Dutch attack and put together a blistering 115-run partnership off just 70 balls after Netherlands opted to field first. India raced to 59 runs in the powerplay, with Shafali taking the aggressive route while Mandhana shifted gears after the fielding restrictions.
Openers lay foundation
The Netherlands bowlers struggled to contain the Indian batters, forcing captain Babette de Leede to rotate her bowlers frequently. Shafali punished anything loose and produced some eye-catching shots, while Mandhana was at her elegant best, using her feet effectively against both pace and spin.The experienced opener accelerated further in the middle overs and hammered four boundaries in succession during the 15th over bowled by Silver Siegers.
India post record World Cup total
After the departure of the two openers, Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur were unable to provide the desired finishing touch. However, late cameos from Richa Ghosh, who struck 20 off just eight balls, and Deepti Sharma, who smashed 10 runs off two deliveries, ensured India maintained the momentum.India eventually finished on 209/5, their highest total in Women’s T20 World Cup history.The Indian team had made two changes to the playing XI, bringing in Yastika Bhatia in place of Bharti Fulmali and handing Nandani Sharma an opportunity ahead of Arundhati Reddy. Mandhana’s record-breaking knock and the explosive opening stand gave India a commanding position in the contest.
