The second India vs South Africa Women’s ODI saw history written when four of the batsmen Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp hit centuries. The match between the two teams took place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

With Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp registering centuries in the second ODI at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, it marked a historic feat. This was the first time that four players scored centuries in the same ODI.

When asked to bat first, the Indian women made a sensational start with the bat. Smriti Mandhana stole the show at the top. She struggled to come out on top as he did not open her account in the first 18 balls. But after that, she controlled her nerves pretty well and batted like a dream.

Smriti Mandhana, who scored a century in the last match, scored the second consecutive century in the series. He finished with an innings of 136 runs off 120 balls. He batted at a strike rate of over 113 and also hit 18 fours and 2 sixes in his innings, helping the team surpass 300 runs on the board.

She was equally well supported by her captain Harmanpreet Kaur who played an aggressive innings and ensured that she finished the innings on a high. She scored an unbeaten 103 runs off 88 balls and hit 9 fours and 3 sixes in her innings, helping India register a total of 325 runs on the board.

In the second innings, Laura Wolvaardt produced an effort similar to that of Smriti Mandhana. They lost early wickets but the opening batsman made sure to keep her team in the hunt and carry her bat till the end. She finished with an unbeaten innings of 135 runs with the help of 12 fours and 3 sixes.

Marizanne Kapp was another shining light for the South African women as she also won a magnificent ton. The batter scored 114 runs off 94 balls and also hit 11 fours and 3 sixes in her innings. She along with the captain added 184 runs but could not take the team home as India won by just 4 runs.

I think 4 races is heartbreaking – Laura Wolvaardt

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt spoke about the close loss to India and said it is a heartbreaking loss for them but she is proud of the way her team played. She also talked about the areas they were lacking and, speaking to the announcers, she explained:

“I think 4 runs is heartbreaking, especially in a 300-run chase, but from the halfway point, I’m extremely proud of the way we fought, especially the way Kapp played and how the rest of the batsmen followed through. The chase was a bit difficult, the fielding was not very good.

“You can remember every little detail of a 4-run loss, it’s annoying, but we can remember one of the best batting efforts. I’ll try to tune out and get a good night’s sleep tonight.”