"Always enjoyed batting alongside her": Mandhana on Shefali after end of play on Day 1 between IND-SA
Jun 28, 2024
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 28 : Following the Day's 1 play between India and South Africa Women on Friday at the MA Chidambaram, opener Smriti Mandhana spoke about her partnership with Shefali Verma.
Both batters built a record-breaking 292-run partnership in 312 balls before Mandhana was sent back to the pavilion after playing a marvellous innings of 149 runs in 161 balls, which was laced by 27 fours and a six in her innings.
Shefali also played a magnificent innings of 205 runs off 197 balls at a strike rate of 104.06. The right-hand batter slammed a total of 23 fours and eight sixes. She was dismissed in the 75th over through a run-out.
The southpaw talked about her dismissal. The opener asserted that she played a lazy shot to get dismissed on the bowling of Delmi Tucker.
"Really happy. Always enjoyed batting alongside her (Shafali). We were trying to take a single (talking about the events prior to her dismissal), it was a lazy shot and I was really happy that Shafali could get to 150 and to 200. The coach will always remind me about that (on missing out on converting the hundred into a big one). I know that her strength is spin and she knows that pace is something I really love," Mandhana said after the end of play on Day 1.
The 27-year-old further spoke about the pitch. The batter stated that the ball kept low from the start and it was turning a little later on.
"It always works and we know our strengths well and we have been opening together for around 3 years, and both going in flow is good for both of us and for the team. For day 1, I think 525 is a really good score. I don't know if this ever happened in Women's cricket. The wicket kept low from the start and it was turning a little later on. We will go back to the hotel and discuss what is a good score on this wicket," the left-hand batter added.
Recapping the first day, 'Women in Blue' skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first.
Batting first, Team India scored 525 runs with the loss of four wickets in 98 overs. Other than Shefali and Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues (55 runs in 94 balls, 8 fours), Harmanpreet Kaur (42* runs from 76 balls, 2 fours) and Richa Ghosh (43* runs off 33 balls, 9 fours) played valuable knocks for their side.
For the visitors, the pick of the bowlers was right-arm off-spinner Delmi Tucker, who snapped two wickets in her spell of 26 overs, where she conceded 141 runs. One wicket was bagged by Nadine de Klerk in her spell of 10 overs where she conceded 62 runs.
