 "Stand-in India captain Smriti Mandhana celebrates after completing her century in the first T20I against England in Nottingham. AP")
Stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana began the tour of England with a bang, smashing a 62-ball 112 in the opening game of the five-match T20I series in Nottingham on Saturday, collecting 15 fours and three sixes along the way.
Mandhana not only propelled Team India to a mammoth total of 210/5 after they were invited to bat by the Nat Sciver-Brunt-led hosts, she also became the first Indian and the fifth overall to score a century in all three international formats in the women’s game.
The southpaw had the Indian team staring at an even bigger total – possibly the highest in a women’s T20I involving full members – after stitching two mammoth partnerships with opening partner Shafali Verma (20) and Harleen Deol (43) worth 77 and 94 respectively.
India, however, lost wickets in a heap in the death overs after seamer Lauren Bell dismissed Deol in the final delivery of the 16th over. Bell later removed Richa Ghosh (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (0) in a space of three deliveries to sign off with figures of 3/27 while Mandhana fell to senior spinner Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling in the final over.
Mandhana had earlier brought up her century in style, collecting back-to-back fours in Bell’s third over after collecting a brace to reach the milestone in 51 deliveries – the joint-fourth-fastest in women’s T20Is taking full member teams into account.
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It was also her 14th century for India across formats, 11 of which have come in ODIs with a couple of them in Test cricket.