Smriti Mandhana Powers India Blue to an Easy Win over India Red in the Tournament Opener

Smriti Mandhana’s year. Well, the fans just won’t mind.
 
The much-anticipated women’s cricket season in India began with an electrifying hundred coming from the blade of arguably the finest batting talent in the national side.
 
Smriti Mandhana of India Blue fired an explosive, big-hitting hundred - 100 off 123 balls - to guide her side to conquer a rather paltry ask of 200 set by India Red.
 
In carving a memorable feisty hundred with shots blazing all corners of the park, Smriti fired ten fours and a lofty six in stamping her authority on the contest versus India Red, a side that featured big names including that of Indian captain Mithali Raj, Deepti Sharma, Sushma Verma.
 
In notching up a fantastic hundred, Smriti formed the highlight of the game in forging a memorable 4th wicket partnership with middle order batswoman Mona Meshram.
 
But before Smriti’s free-stroking ways stole the sheen away from India Red, the contest had turned on its head thanks to a display of tight, disciplined bowling exhibited by slow left-armer Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav. The duo struck double blows taking two wickets apiece to strangulate India Red from compiling total that saw nearly no batswoman join forces to heave runs save classy, dependable old guard Mithali Raj who came to the party with a breezy 72.
 
But in order to go the long distance, several wickets scuttling in the middle order saw Raj grasping for partners with none other than Sushma Verma -30- awarding some stable company to the right-hander. The duo would add a handy 61-run stand which would eventually prove to be minuscule as India Blue completed an easy run chase in just the 46th over. During the chase, all-rounder Mona Meshram, who gave stable company to Smriti Mandhana in chasing down a meager ask demonstrated some smooth hits in scoring an unbeaten 44. Together with Mandhana, Meshram compiled a 94 run stand at the top order, the most memorable in the contest.
 
But that said, concern, however, looms over the form of Himachal-born Neenu Chaudhary who consumed a painstaking 46 balls to score just 13, seemingly demonstrating a vapid form in the tournament opener at the Indore’s Holkar stadium.
 
India Red vs India Blue
India Red 199 All Out (Raj 72, Gayakwad 2 for 23)
India Blue 200 for 2 (Mandhana 100*, P Yadav 1 for 27)
India Blue won by 8 wickets.