Indian women's cricketer Smriti Mandhana razed down Virat Kohli's long-standing record for the national team with a swashbuckling 50-ball 100 in the decisive third ODI against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Mandhana broke Virat Kohli's record of hammering a 52-ball ton as the former rewrote the books in both Indian men's and women's ODI cricket combined.
The moment occurred in the 18th over of the innings when Aussie leg-spinner Alana King came on to bowl. With the wrist-spinner pitching the ball up, the left-hander got down on one knee and took full toll, hammering it for a maximum over the leg-side. Having raised a 50-ball hundred, the Indian cricketer is the fastest century-maker in both men's and women's ODIs combined.
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The 50-ball ton is also the second-fastest in women's ODI cricket, behind only former Aussie skipper Meg Lanning, who achieved the landmark in 45 deliveries. The left-hander also broke a plethora of other records, including becoming the first Indian women's cricketer to score consecutive hundreds in ODIs twice.
Australia had opted to bat after winning the toss in Delhi
Meanwhile, the coin toss in Delhi fell in favour of Australian captain Alyssa Healy, who won the toss and opted to bat first in Delhi.
India playing XI: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur.
Australia playing XI: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Grace Harris, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt.
Led by Beth Mooney's 138, followed by half-centuries from Georgia Voll (81) and Ellyse Perry (68), the tourists have set 413 to chase down. Despite Mandhana's 63-ball 125, the Women in Blue are on the verge of a loss and conceding the series 2-1.
