India women eye ODI series clean sweep against South Africa
India were able to tame varied challenges thrown at them by South Africa so far, and they will be eager to take the series to its fitting conclusion of a 3-0 margin during the third and final ODI in Bengaluru on Sunday. Currently, the margin stands 2-0 in favour of India but that insuperable position has not come without its own trials by fire.
In the first match, the Indian batters had to come back from a perilous 99 for five before making a 260-plus total. The home side bowlers defended the target well too.
But in the second game, it was the turn of the Indian bowlers to ace the test that they were subjected to by centurions Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp on a placid pitch.
Despite the heavy pounding, they kept their nerves till the last ball of the match to come out on the right side of the result.
However, the common thread across these two matches was the exceptional batting of Smriti Mandhana, who made 117 and 136 in them.
Mandhana thus became the first India woman batter to score two successive hundreds in ODIs, and she also equalled Mithali Raj's record of seven one-day centuries.
So, the Indian vice-captain will be eager to sign off from the ODI series on a high before entering the one-off Test at Chennai from June 28.
The timely return to form of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who made an 88-ball 103 in the second match, too might have pleased the management no end.
However, the think tank will be
