IND W vs SA W: Mandhana & Kaur’s tons help India win record-breaking 2nd ODI against South Africa

Runs, runs, and more runs is the better way to summarize the India vs South Africa women’s 2nd ODI as the jaw-dropping, thrilling match between both teams comes to an end, with the India women coming out on top. And total of 646 runs were scored.

Initiated by Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, whose centuries were the main reasons why India successfully clinched the ODI series with a 2-0 scoreline. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and elected to bowl at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. However, Harmanpreet (103) and Smriti (136), batting assassins, gave the Women in Blue a healthy score of 325 runs.

Wolvaardt-Kapp’s hard-fought innings goes in vain

When Wolvaardt and company came to bat, they lost wickets in quick succession. The Proteas threw the game into India’s favor, but a twist awaited, like any good movie climax, as the high-class innings of skipper Laura Wolvaardt of 135 (135) and the brave innings of Marizanne Kapp 114 (94) almost snatched the game from India’s jaws. Thanks to Deepti Sharma, whose lethal spin bowling full of flippers worked wonders, removing Kapp and the tailender de Klerk.

And then the most entertaining last over came into play, with 11 runs needed. Harmanpreet trusted Pooja Vastrakar to deliver the decisive six balls. Vastrakar conceded five runs in the first two balls, both full tosses, giving the Proteas an edge.

But the settled Wolvaardt was watching from the non-striker’s end. During that time, Vastrakar dismissed two tailenders. When Wolvaardt finally got a strike, But it was a bit late, and she surely felt that she arrived after the party had started, with 5 runs needed from 1 ball. Vastrakar’s slower delivery beat the Proteas skipper.

Records broken in the IND vs SA Women’s 2nd ODI

Lots of runs, lots of records, there have been records shattered in just one 50-over game. Let’s have a look at all the records that were created in the 2nd ODI.

Most hundreds in a match in WODIs–

A total of four hundreds were scored, two by Indian batters and two by South African batters. On one hand, Smriti Mandhana consistently slammed her second hundred in this series, whereas Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur took charge and made 103 runs.

From the Proteas camp, skipper and opener Laura Wolvaardt’s ton was the main reason why Proteas were in the game till the last ball. Additionally, experienced Marizanne Kapp bravely played a full innings of 114 runs, becoming the final arrow in the quiver to register four centuries in a women’s ODI game for the first time.

Kapp became third women’s cricketer to score 3000+ runs and take 150+ wickets in ODIs

After West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor and Australian Ellyse Perry, with this impeccable performance against India, Marizanne Kapp became the third all-rounder to clinch 150-plus wickets and score 3000 runs in ODIs.

2nd highest match aggregate in Women’s ODIs

After the 2017 ENG vs SA ODI game, where a total of 678 runs were scored, this game became the second in women’s ODI history where a total of 646 runs were scored. India pulled up 325 runs, while the Proteas camp fought back with 321 runs in their 50-over quota.

South Africa register the highest total in women’s ODI (While Chasing)

South Africa also registered their highest ever total while chasing with 321 runs. Although it came in a losing cause, the score speaks volumes of the effort they made in the game against India.

Harmanpreet Kaur – Player of the Match

For her 103 runs in just 88 balls, India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, has been picked as the Player of the Match.

‘I think it’s a great achievement for women’s cricket to have nearly 650 runs in the game. South Africa played really well. I think while batting, we were up to the mark. Initially, when the ball was moving, both the openers didn’t throw their wickets. It made it easier later. We made some errors while bowling, we didn’t bowl according to the field. I know it’s a batting track, it’s not easy to bowl,’ Harmanpreet said after the game.