Mandhana terms her knock against WI as ‘really special’

Hamilton
India opening batter Smriti Mandhana who smashed a brilliant ton against West Indies in the ongoing ICC Women’s ODI World Cup on Saturday, said this knock was really special as it came when her team was in a risky situation. Brilliant centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur were backed by courageous bowling performance as India defeated West Indies by 155 runs.
“There is a difference between my two World Cup knocks. The first one was achieved in easy circumstances but this one is really special as it came when we were in a really risky situation,” said Mandhana in a video posted on BCCI TV. “As soon as I felt that we have got the momentum that was required for the team, I thought of enjoying a bit and playing my own game. When we started the game, we aimed at 240-250 but as we reached 260-280, we got a bit greedy and thought of reaching to 300-run mark,” she added.
With this win, India registered their second win of the tournament after losing one game against New Zealand. “Most importantly is that we have got that W on the board and hope we keep this momentum for the next four matches and we get into knockouts. So, we would like ahead in the tournament with a positive mindset,” said the batter.
Batting first, Indian opener Smriti scored 123 from 119 balls while in-form Harmanpreet smashed 109 from just 107 deliveries as star duo guided Women in Blue to a massive total of 317/8. This is West Indies’ first defeat in the tournament. The score of 317 is the highest by the Indian women’s team in the World Cup.