Smriti Mandhana went past quite a milestones on Friday as she brought up her first Test century in India’s first-ever pink-ball Test, putting on a masterclass against Australia at Carrara Oval, Gold Coast.
The Indian opener carried on her sublime form from the rain-hit first day to score her hundred (170 balls) with a classy boundary. She had hit an almost run-a-ball fifty on Friday, taking the attack to Australia with the new ball, before settling down for a long innings.
Mandhana was finally dismissed on 127 (216 balls, 22 boundaries and a six ) after a 102-run stand with Punam Raut. But not before breaking the record for the highest individual score by a visiting woman in Test matches played in Australia, overtaking Molly Hide’s 124* that had stood since 1949.
The 25-year-old southpaw is also the first Indian batter to score a Test ton in Australia, as the two countries resumed their Test rivalry after 15 years. Her first Test ton came in what his just her fourth match, after making her debut back in 2014.
The day did not start quite well for Mandhana as she was caught off a full toss, but Ellyse Perry had overstepped and from there on the Indian got back into her groove once again.
Incidentally, Mandhana’s first ODI century also came in Australia back in 2016 in Hobart.
Aus vs Ind: Carried a pink ball in my kitbag for three months to familiarise myself, says Mandhana
Australia vs India, day-night Test, day two live: Smriti Mandhana reaches a superb first Test ton
Here are some numbers from and reactions to Mandhana’s innings:
💯 to Smriti Mandhana!
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) October 1, 2021
A brilliant century coming off 170 deliveries, with 18 fours and one six #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/NiVLlgQ4UQ
127 - Smriti Mandhana's 127 for @BCCIWomen in the #AUSvIND women's Test is the highest score by an overseas player in the format on Australian soil & the second highest by an Indian player v Aus in women's Tests overall (Sandhya Agarwal - 134 in Feb 1984). Masterful. pic.twitter.com/ohNp8AdpIk
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) October 1, 2021
Fantastic knock @mandhana_smriti!
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 1, 2021
Many congratulations on scoring your first Test hundred.
Keep scoring and inspiring! 👏🏻#PinkBallTest #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/EmwI7ds66O
Mandhana has hit the ball to all parts during her century #AUSvIND #PinkBallTest pic.twitter.com/ud8fN2xGEE
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 1, 2021
💯 for @mandhana_smriti! 👏 👏
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 1, 2021
Maiden Test ton for the #TeamIndia left-hander. 👍 👍
What a fantastic knock this has been! 🙌 🙌 #AUSvIND
Follow the match 👉 https://t.co/seh1NVa8gu pic.twitter.com/2SSnLRg789
Class act. Such a delight to watch @mandhana_smriti maiden 💯 on both the pull and drive. Now chasing down the highest score by a tourist in Australian women’s test, that of Molly Hide’s 124* in 1949. #ausvind https://t.co/MNIulQoArq
— Mel Jones (@meljones_33) October 1, 2021
FIRST Test century for Smriti Mandhana (in her 4th match) and she brings it up in the #PinkBallTest
— Zenia D'cunha (@ZENIADCUNHA) October 1, 2021
Here we were worried about little practice, skiddy ball, Aussie pace battery.
There, one of the world's best batters shows that class is class, no matter the color of the ball!
Well that is superb, Smriti Mandhana. I remember seeing her for the first time in the 2014 Test against England at Wormsley and being blown away by how good she looked. She now looks even better and has a Test century to her name. Bravo! #AUSvIND
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) October 1, 2021
A simple celebration. That’s Smriti Mandhana scoring her maiden Test 💯 #AUSvIND #PinkBallTest. @mandhana_smriti @BCCIWomen
— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) October 1, 2021
100s by visiting openers in Aus in Women's Test cricket
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 1, 2021
119 - Myrtle Maclagan 🏴 in 1935
113 - Enid Bakewell 🏴 in 1968
102 - Mary Robinson 🏴 in 1958
127 - Smriti Mandhana 🇮🇳 in 2021
This is the 8th Test century by a visiting player (7 100s for England) in Aus.#AusvInd
Classy century for a classy batter who’s played a classy knock. Standing ovation from the Indian camp & how about coach Ramesh Powar’s timing. Had walked in from the nets 20 seconds before Ellyse Perry started running in to bowl the ball that got @mandhana_smriti there #AusvIND pic.twitter.com/vNaa1vmItq
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) October 1, 2021
The Goddess of the offside.
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 1, 2021
Congratulations on your maiden test hundred @mandhana_smriti. First of many. Well played 👏🏻 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/nS6am012nL
1st Indian woman to score a century in Australia
— Lavanya L Narayanan (@lav_narayanan) October 1, 2021
1st visitor (non-English) to score a 100 in Aus
All in a #PinkBallTest where the closest to practice before the series was carrying a ball in her kit bag.
If #SmritiMandhana isn't the definition of swag, I do not know who is. pic.twitter.com/AqJtCu87ac
Smriti Mandhana - the second Indian 🇮🇳 woman to score a test century against Australia and first to score in Australia.
— Hari Priya CR (@cr_hariPriya) October 1, 2021
Sandhya Agarwal, Mumbai, 1984 - 134
Smriti Mandhana, Carrara, 2021 - 102*#AUSvIND
A 💯 is always special in cricket. A firstTest hundred even more. And when it comes in Australia as your country's first in the historic #PinkBallTest , words can't do justice @mandhana_smriti 🎉 so proud of #SmritiMandhana pic.twitter.com/qfkLNeTeAw
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) October 1, 2021
Smriti Mandhana is now the first ever visiting player outside England to score a Women's Test hundred in Australia.#AUSvIND
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) October 1, 2021
Smriti Mandahana's 100 against Australia:
— Ranjith Kumar R (@iam_rrt) October 1, 2021
- 16th player overall to score a Test hundred against Australia, Only 5th in this century
- 4th Non-English player and 2nd Indian (After Sandhya Agarwal)
- 8th visiting player to score a test century against Aus in Aus, first non-English
After a few misses, so good to see Smriti convert her good touch to a 100. She said yesterday that her teammates on the bench kept her grounded with all the start-stop by saying, "You again have to start from zero. You have done nothing."
— Karunya (@kuks) October 1, 2021
Seems to be working! #AUSvIND
First ODI century in Australia. First Test hundred in Australia. Smriti Mandhana is going to pack these pitches with her, isn't she? #WhattaPlayer #BackfootBallerina #AUSvIND #PinkBallTest
— Ananya Upendran (@a_upendran11) October 1, 2021
First of many. #SmritiMandhana #TestCentury #PinkBallTest
— Snehal Pradhan #MaskUp (@SnehalPradhan) October 1, 2021
just glorious.fitting that it comes with a gorgeous, non violent stroke. mandhana is a magnificent player. #PinkBallTest #AUSvIND
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) October 1, 2021
Smriti Mandhana is one of the best left-handed batters India has ever produced, regardless of gender. A Test hundred in Australia, and in a #PinkBallTest at that, is no joke. 👏🏽
— Shiamak Baria-Unwalla (@Crikipedia) October 1, 2021