Smriti Mandhana breaks a 6-year-old record as India posts 176 in the third Twenty20 International between AUSW and INDW.

On Saturday, February 21, at Adelaide Oval, in the series-deciding third Twenty20 International match against the Australian women’s national cricket team, star batswoman Smriti Mandhana broke her six-year-old record to lead India to a competitive total of 176/6. 

Mandhana put established a vital partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues for the second wicket and played an incredible innings of 82 off 55 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes. Alongside Rodrigues, who struck 59 off 46 deliveries, Mandhana reached her 33rd T20I half-century and contributed 121 runs for the second wicket off 82 balls. The India opener also achieved the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in Australia during her innings, shattering her own six-year-old mark.

In the third Twenty20 International match against Australia, the left-hander beat his previous best of 66 from 37 balls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2020. In the meantime, Mandhana set a new record for the most runs scored by an Indian batter against the Australians by recording her ninth fifty-plus score.

The India opener lost her partner Shafali Verma, who scored seven runs off six balls, in the third over, but she got off to a good start with a boundary on the fourth delivery of her innings. Then, in the last over of the powerplay, she faced Sophie Molineux and hit her for three boundaries to get into the twenties. Mandhana hit a maximum against Darcie Brown to reach her half-century in 38 balls.Mandhana changed gears swiftly and appeared to be headed for her second T20I century before being caught at deep mid-wicket by Annabel Sutherland’s bowling.