masabata klass

For South Africa: Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana slammed a fantastic 117 off 121 balls, her sixth century in ODIs, as India posted 265/8 against South Africa in the series opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

On a slightly sluggish pitch which offered variable bounce, seam movement and spin, India were reduced to 99/5 at one stage after electing to bat first. But Smriti stood tall, played her shots all over the park and even kept cramps at bay to keep India’s innings together with utmost discipline, control and remarkable composure.

In the process of bailing India out of trouble, Smriti brought up her first ODI century at home, laced with 12 fours and a six, to enthrall an enthusiastic Sunday crowd. She was also well-supported by knocks from Deepti Sharma (37) and Pooja Vastrakar (31) as India crossed 250-mark.