Team India bounced back in a big way against West Indies on Saturday as they beat a super confident West Indies by 155 runs. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur will take the major appreciation as the duo scored fabulous centuries and stitched in a fabulous 184 run partnership for the 4th wicket which is the highest in world cup history. Mandhana scored 123 runs with 13 boundaries and 2 maximums. Whereas, Harmanpreet Kaur scored 109 runs with 10 boundaries and 2 sixes resulting in India posting a massive score of 317 in 50 overs.
The West Indies batters started to a flyer as they got scored 100 runs for the opening partnership in just 12 overs. Deandra Dottin scored a magnificent 62 and Hayley Matthews scored 43. Soon after the opener’s dismissal, the Windies batters fell apart and the team got bundled out for 162 with team India winning the match by 155 runs.
What a moment this is ❤️
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur share Player of the Match Award.
📸Disney+Hotstar #CWC22 pic.twitter.com/7bNoxZBVVI
— Female Cricket #CWC22 (@imfemalecricket) March 12, 2022
Smriti Mandhana was awarded the player of the match award during the post-match presentation. She decided to share the trophy with Harmanpreet Kaur as she felt both of them contributed and deserved the award. She mentioned how the duo managed to spin and pace attacks by rotating strikes giving each other good support. She finished off the interview by asking ICC to give another player of the match trophy to bring an extraordinary night to a happy end.
🗨️ I’m sure ICC has the budget to provide us with 2 ‘Player of the Match Award’ 😃
~ Smriti Mandhana in Post Match Presentation#CWC22 #WIvIND
— Female Cricket #CWC22 (@imfemalecricket) March 12, 2022
Social media, especially Twitter was happy to see the comradarie between the centurions and applauded their efforts. Here are a few reactions:
This made me cry.
This is what makes the women's game incomparable, imo.
To be named Player of the Match in a World Cup is a great honour. To have the presence of mind, the generosity of spirit, in that moment to want to share it with another is…. everything
🙏@mandhana_smriti— Kym -Bid- Bidstrup (@BidKym) March 12, 2022
Well done @mandhana_smriti .. Such a sharing trophy is rare in men's cricket.. You showed a wonderful gesture all the way.. Your asking ICC for another trophy is simply made my day.All the best and return India with trophy..It's tough but today's performance can beat Aussies too
— Dev Tripathi (@iamdebu_champ) March 12, 2022
#CWC22 @mandhana_smriti @ImHarmanpreet Jodi no 1. Congratulations women in blue for the perfect win. pic.twitter.com/oWrraewVmu
— ajju (@_ajay_kumar_) March 12, 2022
Nice gesture from Smriti Mandhana, she got the player of the award but she called Harmanpreet Kaur as well to share the award – one of the beautiful moment in #CWC22 pic.twitter.com/xAD9MiMrpI
— #CWC22 (@Woman_Cricket) March 12, 2022
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