In a truly dominant display at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, India delivered a spectacular performance, inspired by an incredible century from Smriti Mandhana. Her blazing 77-ball hundred, the fastest ever against Australia in Women’s ODIs, helped India clinch a massive 102-run victory in the second WODI on Wednesday night. This monumental win not only shattered India’s eight-match losing streak against the formidable seven-time world champions but also inflicted Australia’s heaviest defeat margin in Women’s One-Day Internationals, ending their impressive 13-match winning run in the format.
This victory marks India’s first WODI win against Australia on home soil in 18 years, with their last triumph dating back to 2007. The last time India defeated the Aussies in a WODI was four years ago, on September 26, 2021, in Mackay. This magical comeback has leveled the series at 1-1, turning the third and final ODI in Delhi on September 20 into a highly anticipated decider. Furthermore, this resounding success, building on a strong tour of England, is expected to significantly boost India’s morale heading into the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which is set to commence on September 30 in Guwahati.
Mandhana’s glorious 91-ball 117, featuring 14 perfectly timed fours and four towering sixes, illuminated the stadium as India posted a challenging total of 292 in 49.5 overs. Following this batting masterclass, India showcased a vastly improved fielding performance, despite a few dropped catches, and bowled out Australia for just 190 runs in 40.4 overs.
Bouncing back strongly from their eight-wicket defeat in the first WODI on Sunday night, India’s bowling attack shone brightly. Impressive young seamer Kranti Goud was outstanding, claiming three wickets for just 29 runs in 9.5 overs, including the final dismissal. Off-spinner Deepti Sharma, who had earlier contributed a crucial 40 runs from 53 balls (with two fours), chipped in with two wickets for 24 runs in her six overs. The team’s improved fielding was a key factor, highlighted by pacer Arundhati Reddy’s three superb catches in the deep, a sharp catch by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover to dismiss Annabel Sutherland (45 runs off 42 balls, four fours), and Radha Yadav’s brilliant caught and bowled effort to send Alysse Perry back to the pavilion for 44 runs off 61 balls (five fours).
India’s strategic shift to prioritize pace proved effective, as they opted for three seamers instead of four spinners, bringing in an additional bowler in Reddy while resting left-arm spinner Shree Charani. This decision, along with Australia’s choice to rest explosive opener Phoebe Litchfield (who had scored 88 off 80 balls in the first WODI) to give game time to Georgia Voll, seemingly played into India’s hands.
Currently in scorching form, Mandhana is clearly poised to be India’s pivotal player in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. However, the team does face a few concerns ahead of the mega tournament. Middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out of the remaining two matches due to viral fever, though Mandhana’s stellar batting helped mitigate that setback. Seasoned pacer Renuka Singh Thakur, returning from a nine-month injury lay-off, managed to take one wicket for 28 runs in 6.3 overs but was hampered by cramps/hamstring issues, limiting her spell. Another minor worry for India is Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s form, who scored just 17 runs off 26 balls before being dismissed by Australian off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner; she has accumulated only 28 runs in two matches this series.
Earlier in the match, Mandhana dominated the Australian attack, breaking several records en route to her 12th WODI century. She reached the significant milestone with a majestic lofted six over mid-off off Tahlia McGrath in the 29th over. This century surpassed England’s Nat Sciver’s 79-ball effort in the 2022 World Cup, making it the fastest against Australia in WODIs. The 29-year-old also recorded the second-fastest century by an Indian woman in ODIs, just behind her own 70-ball hundred against Ireland in Rajkot earlier this year. This marks Mandhana’s third WODI century this year, adding to the four she scored last year.
By scoring 58 runs off 63 balls in the first match of the series, Mandhana reclaimed her No. 1 ranking in WODIs. With this innings, she equaled the record for most women’s ODI centuries by an opener, matching New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and England’s Tammy Beaumont with her 12th century in 106 innings since her debut in 2013. Overall, Mandhana now stands joint-third on the all-time WODI century-makers’ list, with only Meg Lanning (15) and Bates (13) ahead of her. This was also her third WODI hundred against Australia, making her the Asian batter with the most centuries against them in this format. She has now amassed 15 international centuries, a record for any Asian batter in international women’s cricket.