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"I wouldn't Rate It Best": Smriti Mandhana Downplays Record Century After IND Defeat

Akshita Patel

Smriti Mandhana opens up on India Women's loss to Australia Women [Source: @OlympicKhel/X.com]Smriti Mandhana opens up on India Women's loss to Australia Women [Source: @OlympicKhel/X.com]

Even in defeat, Smriti Mandhana proved why she is the heartbeat of India’s women’s cricket. She downrated her record-breaking hundred just because those runs didn’t end up in the winning cause.

The Indian team lost the third ODI against Australia by 43 runs in New Delhi on Saturday, conceding the three-match series 1–2.

But Mandhana’s batting brilliance stole the show. Chasing a mammoth 413, she scored a dazzling 125 off 63 balls, hitting 17 fours and five sixes.

Smriti Mandhana Downplays Her Fastest Ton

In the process, she became the fastest Indian to reach an ODI hundred, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record by reaching 100 in just 50 deliveries. Despite the record inning, Smriti Mandhana, talking to press, didn’t rate her hundred as the best, as the team lost the game.

“I don’t know if it’s (my) best knock because when you chase 413 you don’t have any other gear to play. In terms of hitting sixes maybe yes. But I wouldn’t rate it best. Whenever you score a hundred and team wins I mean that becomes a memorable knock," Smriti said.

Regardless, she believes the series was about much more than results. India used the tough challenge to test the team ahead of the home World Cup, particularly in fielding and coordination. She pointed out that consistency in fielding as a unit remains a key focus, despite flashes of brilliance.

“This series for us was about getting a lot of right combinations and things. Australia is a great opposition to test ourselves in terms of where we are lacking. But it was a good series in terms of understanding our strengths. Fielding part is one thing which I mean as a team we are on a rise but we also feel that some days there are days where we look like a different fielding side than the others," she added.

Mandhana also shrugged off suggestions that India relied too heavily on her.

"Everyone in this squad is a match-winner, not just the XI but all 15. At any point, anyone can step up. If you look at the last 12 months, we’ve posted 300-plus totals even when I got out early. That shows there is no dependence on one player. Pratika, Harleen, Jemimah, Harman — everyone has scored hundreds in the last year."

Mandhana Refuses To Reveal India’s Combination

That being said, with the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 on the horizon, Smriti Mandhana remained tight-lipped about India’s combination.

“We wouldn’t really want to reveal what the combination is going to be because the World Cup is still 8-10 days away. But I wouldn’t say that we will have one particular combination, it would also depend a lot on the wicket.”

Regardless of what the combination might be, Mandhana’s form will be crucial for India’s campaign as they strive to script glory at home