India pin hopes on Smriti Mandhana: Vice-captain’s form fuels World Cup dream | Cricket News

Smriti Mandhana celebrates after scoring century against Australia. (Pic credit: BCCI) NEW CHANDIGARH: The Indian women’s cricket team aims to end their elusive wait for an ICC trophy by winning the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which begins on Sept 30 in Guwahati. Central to those ambitions is Smriti Mandhana, whose exceptional performance over the past two years has been pivotal.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!On Wednesday, during the second ODI at PCA Mullanpur Stadium, Mandhana scored a century in 77 balls — the fastest by any player against Australia — leading India to a 102-run victory. This was Australia’s heaviest defeat in ODIs and marked India’s first home ODI win against the Aussies since 2007.Ellyse Perry, Australia’s prominent all-rounder who has faced Mandhana in various leagues and international matches and has played with her for their WPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, lauded Mandhana’s batting prowess. At the post-match press conference, Perry stated, “Smriti makes batting look easy. It wasn’t great watching her innings,” she said with a grin, before adding, “But everyone enjoys watching her bat, she is a good batter and she played brilliantly.”Kranti Goud, a young pacer who took three for 28 in 9.5 overs to restrict Australia to 190 in their 40.5 overs, also praised Mandhana’s batting. She remarked, “Everyone is crazy about her batting. When Smriti bats, the whole stadium chants her name. She batted really well today. I enjoyed watching it too.”Since partnering with Delhi’s Pratika Rawal, Mandhana has adopted a more aggressive batting approach. She aims to dominate the bowlers early, allowing Rawal time to settle. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer once dubbed her the “Goddess of the offside” for her ability to find gaps, a trait reminiscent of former India captain Sourav Ganguly. Mandhana intends to maintain her attacking style in the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup.Reflecting on the recent victory, Mandhana said, “The last two hundreds which I got against Australia were in a losing cause, so I’m happy that we won the match today. My game plan was simple — to make use of the powerplay and then try and build my innings, and if it was in my slot, to go after it. The wicket was really flat, so I had to be aggressive. Throughout the World Cup as well, there wouldn’t be one game where I won’t be aggressive, but it will depend on conditions.” Mandhana and Rawal have formed a formidable and consistent opening partnership in WODIs, averaging 80.66 since their inception. Rawal said: “We complement each other well. She is calm and composed. I am also that way. We do not complicate stuff. We don’t have to talk much between innings, she does what she does best, and I do what I do best. There’s an understanding between us that feels natural, not made up.”