Women's WC: Pratika-Mandhana centuries fire IND into sems; defeat NZ in must-win clash

Navi Mumbai: Dishing retired a objective marque of cricket erstwhile it mattered the most, India outplayed New Zealand by 53 runs (via DLS method) to marque it into the semifinals of the 2025 Women’s World Cup arsenic the 4th squad astatine the DY Patil Stadium connected Thursday night.

The prolific opening brace of Smriti Mandhana (109 disconnected 95 balls) and Pratika Rawal (122 disconnected 134 balls) slammed scintillating hundreds, portion returning to the XI, Jemimah Rodrigues proceed her worthy by smashing a stroke-filled 76 not retired (off 55 balls) arsenic India posted 340 for 3 successful 49 overs, feasting connected a feeble New Zealand attack.

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Thanks to immoderate unseasonal rain, determination was a 90-minute interruption and New Zealand, who blundered by deciding to tract archetypal successful blistery and humid conditions, were near to get 325 successful 44 overs.

Cracking nether unit of a immense chase, the White Ferns finished astatine 271 for eight, with lone Brooke Halliday (81 from 84 balls) and Isabella Gaze not retired (65 from 51 balls)offering immoderate fight. To circular disconnected a good outing for her, Mandhana took a superb drawback astatine abbreviated mid-wicket to nonstop backmost Amelia Kerr (45).Tournament hosts India volition present diagnostic successful the 2nd semifinal astatine the DY Patil Stadium astatine the aforesaid venue connected Oct 30.

Their last league crippled against Bangladesh connected Sunday is present of world interest. New Zealand, the reigning Women’s T20 World Cup champs were near to rue their 2 washed retired games successful Sri Lanka and a mediocre amusement successful the crunch lucifer here. The grounds 25,166 assemblage - the highest successful this World Cup - astatine this venue was entrained to immoderate spectacular fireworks with the bat by India’s apical three, arsenic the Women In Blue, with qualification astatine stake, blazed mode to the highest people of this World Cup connected a batting paradise. Mandhana and Pratika shattered aggregate records portion sharing an epic opening concern of 212 disconnected 202 balls-their 2nd treble period partnership, and seventh period basal successful 23 WODIs. It is present the highest opening concern ever for India successful women's ODIs, and the biggest basal for immoderate wicket for India successful Women's ODI World Cups, going past 184 betwixt Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur against West Indies Women successful Hamilton successful 2022.

The batters had, earlier successful the tournament, added 155 against Australia successful Visakhapatnam.Mandhana and Rawal person added a staggering 1557 runs arsenic a brace successful WODIs successful 2025, a fig lone exceeded by the Sachin Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly brace - 1635 successful 1998 - for highest concern aggregate successful a calendar twelvemonth successful ODIs - Men oregon Women. The steadfast of Mandhana and Rawal was 'launched' lone successful December past twelvemonth erstwhile Rawal made her WODI debut against West Indies astatine Vadodara.

However, the numbers that they person already achieved by present are frightening, with galore much yet to come.

This was the pair's 4th 150-plus concern betwixt Smriti Mandhana and Rawal successful WODIs, the joint-most by immoderate pair, alongside Belinda Clark-Lisa Keightley and Suzie Bates-Amy Satterthwaite. When Pritika smashed New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine for a 4 implicit mid-wicket, the 25-year-old Delhi batter became the joint-fastest to 1,000 WODI runs successful women's ODIs, taking conscionable 23 successful nings to get to the landmark, highlighting what has been a sensational commencement to her planetary vocation truthful far.

Backed by India's caput manager Amol Muzumdar contempt disapproval against her strike-rate (82.82), the young batter recorded her 2nd WODI period and her maiden WODI World Cup hundred.

Driving, cutting, pulling and flicking the shot with aplomb, Pritika showed she tin unleash the large hits excessively erstwhile she smashed 2 sixes aft reaching her century. Rawal and Rodrigues, who smacked a 39-ball 50 aft being excluded from the erstwhile lucifer to accommodate a sixth bowler, added 76 successful conscionable 58 balls for the 2nd wicket arsenic the White Ferns were sent connected a leather hunt by the Women-in-Blue connected a featherbed.

Taking a liking for Eden Carson, Rodrigues deed her for 3 fours successful the 46th over.Mandhana reached her 14th WODI period disconnected 88 balls with a single, hammering 10 fours and 3 sixes, showcasing different batting masterclass. Now lone erstwhile Australian skipper Meg Lanning (15) has scored much WODI centuries than her. It was the dashing left-hander's 5th WODI period this year-only Brits (2025) has scored that galore centuries successful a calendar year.

With the tremendous signifier that she is in, it's nary astonishment that Mandhana is the starring run-scorer successful this calendar year, having amassed 1259 runs truthful acold successful 2025. She's besides the starring run-scorer successful the World Cup (331 runs) with 2 half-centuries and a hundred. After a dilatory commencement successful the tournament, Mandhana, who has notched up scores of 80, 88 & 109 successful her past 3 matches, has travel into her ain astatine the cleanable clip for India.Starting cautiously - the duo added conscionable 40 successful the archetypal 10 overs - Mandhana and Rawal accelerated thereafter, with Mandhana cutting, driving and pulling with ease, she dominated the insipid New Zealand bowlers. Two of her 4 sixes came disconnected leggie Amelia Kerr.