Fans were captivated by the striking resemblance between Smriti Mandhana’s and Virat Kohli’s bowling actions after Mandhana bowled her first over in international cricket during an ODI match against South Africa in Bengaluru on Wednesday, June 19. Mandhana had an exceptional day, claiming a wicket in her debut over after scoring a landmark century at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Smriti Mandhana’s debut over drew comparisons to Virat Kohli due to her nearly wrong-footed bowling action. Tasked with bowling the 15th over by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana delivered medium pace and managed to dismiss Sune Luus for 12 with a length ball outside off-stump. Luus attempted a wild cut shot but edged it to the wicketkeeper.
Ecstatic, Mandhana sprinted towards the point fielder to celebrate the wicket, jumping and punching the air in delight. Her teammates showered her with praise for her impressive contribution with the ball. Mandhana joined the rare group of bowlers who have taken a wicket in their first over in international cricket.
The Bengaluru crowd erupted in applause, celebrating Smriti Mandhana’s heroics with the ball. Coincidentally, Virat Kohli had also taken a wicket in an ODI in Bengaluru during the World Cup last year against the Netherlands. Mandhana bowled two overs, conceding 13 runs and taking one wicket against South Africa on Wednesday.
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Earlier in the day, Mandhana excelled with the bat, scoring 136 off 120 balls, her highest ODI total to date. She matched Mithali Raj’s record of seven ODI centuries for India. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur also shone, hitting 103 off 88 balls, ending a 15-month wait for an ODI hundred as India posted a formidable 325.
