Mandhana shines as anchor with brilliant century

This is a promising comeback story primarily for two reasons. Between 2021 and 2023, Mandhana faced a slump in her performances, with her numbers taking a drastic hit. Other than a remarkable century in Hamilton in 2022, both her average and conversion rate were underwhelming. Although it may seem unreasonable to question Mandhana's abilities in this format based on these statistics, they did paint a clear picture. Particularly challenging was 2021, where her weaknesses were exposed in matches against South Africa at home, England, and Australia. Her boundary percentage decreased, and the number of dot balls increased, showcasing her struggles to capitalize on good starts.

Sorting them out patiently, that too at home, bookending a disappointing run at the T20 World Cup, has allowed Mandhana to paint a clearer identity of the kind of ODI batter she really is. An average of 86 and a strike rate of 101.57 with two hundreds this year while batting first this year are the sort of returns batters would kill for at home.

But take note of that average of 54.75 batting second too, adding fresh perspective in the form of a stern opposition of New Zealand at Ahmedabad on Tuesday and it bolsters belief that Mandhana is honing herself for the ODI World Cup at home next year.

Which, goes without saying, could massively influence how Indian women’s cricket shapes up. Opportunity came and went in the UAE earlier this month during the T20 World Cup, with the failure stinging more than it should have because of India’s top-order woes, particularly of Mandhana who had scores of 12, 7, 50 and 6. Five and a duck in the first two ODIs in Ahmedabad gave the feeling that Mandhana’s batting was in a rut. But she took it upon herself to change the narrative on Tuesday, ensuring India faced no hiccups in a tricky chase of 233.

“It has been a tough one-and-a-half months for this team,” Mandhana had said after the third ODI win on Tuesday. “The first two games didn’t go my way so I am really happy I could get a score today.” She had to work for it though. Shafali Verma’s early dismissal could have kept India in some pressure but Mandhana patiently worked the gaps before hitting her first boundary in the ninth over.

“It was more about controlling my shots, you don’t bat the same way everyday. You’re in the best frame some days and you’re not other days,” she said in the post-match presentation.

Since the required rate was always within control, Madhana never had to go for any risky shot. Not for long though did Mandhana curb herself. Boundaries started coming more frequently once her fifty was up as India kept racking up match-altering partnerships. The stand with Yastika Bhatia was worth 76 before Kaur and Mandhana added 117 for the third wicket. And throughout those two partnerships, Mandhana looked on top of the chase.

It gave a peek into what Mandhana essentially is, a dependable anchor. And since one-dayers still allow batters that time to switch from a cautious note to a higher gear, Mandhana is perfect in that role. She is okay on the strike rate front too, considering women’s one-day cricket hasn’t exactly entered the fast lane like the men’s version.

Though it must be pointed out that Mandhana possesses the skill and range to accelerate whenever she deems necessary. Like on Tuesday, where she had scored just nine runs from the first 25 balls before adding 46 in the next 50 deliveries. At home, with the ODI World Cup in sight, that acceleration was an accurate indicator of Mandhana’s mindset in this format.

“I had to be a little hard on myself early on and wait for the first 10 overs to go before taking the game on,” she said. “For me what works is the harder way. Need to do it for the team first. Getting out early means I’ve let the team down and that thought doesn’t let me sleep well. As a cricketer you are going to get highs and lows, you need to keep the routine the same.”

That process has finally paid off, thankfully at a time India were desperately seeking batting maturity.