Indian women’s cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana has been considered one of the best in the business in recent times. She has once again made headlines on Saturday in Worcester against England women during the third ODI of the series.
While her 49 helped India chase down the total of 220 in a 47-over rain-affected game, her outstanding fielding effort helped Indian bowlers restrict the opposition within a chasable total. It happened during the 38th over of England’s innings, when off-spinner Deepti Sharma was bowling. On the third ball of the over, England batter Natalie Sciver came down the track and hit Sharma towards the leg side boundary, where Smriti Mandhana was fielding at mid-wicket.
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She jumped towards her left and put a dive to catch the ball while outstretching her hands and pulled out a stunner in the boundary line.
WHAT A CATCH 😯
Smriti Mandhana 🔥🔥#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/xjrNSByrJ6— Akash (@im_akash196) July 3, 2021
Later, while chasing, Smriti Mandana scored a steady 49 before getting out in the 21st over. After her dismissal, the captain Mithali Raj guided the team to a convincing win in a thrilling last-over run-chase in the third ODI as the hosts take the series 2-1 as well. Now, both the teams will play the three-match T20I series starting July 9, Friday.
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However, after the game, she applauded Sneh Rana with whom the captain added a match-winning stand of 50 in 40 deliveries. “Definitely, yes,” Raj said when asked if Rana has climbed in the pecking order of allroudners in the lead up to the megaevent. “That’s a slot [where] we’ve always looked for somebody who has the shots to clear the field – strong shots all round. And it helps to have a player there who can also bowl. So, it’s good to have her in the side.”
“She’s definitely shown that she does have the character in her to be built into a good player. In the current era, in modern cricket, allrounders play a very important role in the composition of the team. I’m sure that she has a bigger role playing for India in the coming years,” Raj again shared.
