The opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal has become one of India’s most prolific in Women’s ODIs, shining against Australia in the group stage clash of the 2025 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, October 12. Batting first at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, the duo started cautiously, scoring 23 runs in the first six overs before accelerating against Australia’s top spinners, Sophie Molineux and Ashleigh Gardner.
Historic partnership
At the time of writing, Mandhana and Rawal had crossed 129 runs together, setting the highest-ever opening stand against Australia in Women’s World Cups. They surpassed the 101-run record held by England’s E Bakewell and D Thomas from the inaugural 1973 World Cup. In the ninth over, Rawal hit a six and a four against Gardner to take the partnership past 50 runs, marking the 14th 50-plus stand between the pair in ODIs—second only in frequency to Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj’s 18 fifty-plus partnerships.
Comparisons with past Indian pairs
Partnerships between Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raj (57 innings) and Mithali Raj and Punam Raut (34 innings) had produced 13 fifty-plus stands each. Mandhana and Rawal’s consistency has been remarkable, achieving 50-plus partnerships in 14 of their 21 innings together. By the 15th over, India was 73/0, surpassing the previous highest opening stand against Australia in Women’s World Cups—69 runs by Anjum Chopra and Anagha Deshpande in 2009.
Mandhana fastest to reach 5000 runs in ODI
Smriti Mandhana loves breaking records, and on Sunday, October 12, she added two major milestones to her name. After becoming the first batter in the world to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in women’s ODIs, Mandhana also became the fastest batter globally to reach 5000 runs in WODIs. She achieved the mark in just her 112th ODI innings, surpassing the previous record held by Stafanie Taylor.
Century milestones
Rawal was dropped at 93 in the 18th over, and the pair crossed 100 runs in quick succession, recording their fourth 100-plus partnership of 2025. This ranks second globally behind Australia’s Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley (five in 2000) and New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest (four in 2015). For India, only Mithali Raj and Punam Raut have more century stands with seven in 34 innings; Mandhana and Rawal now have six century stands in just 21 innings.
Historic partnership
At the time of writing, Mandhana and Rawal had crossed 129 runs together, setting the highest-ever opening stand against Australia in Women’s World Cups. They surpassed the 101-run record held by England’s E Bakewell and D Thomas from the inaugural 1973 World Cup. In the ninth over, Rawal hit a six and a four against Gardner to take the partnership past 50 runs, marking the 14th 50-plus stand between the pair in ODIs—second only in frequency to Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj’s 18 fifty-plus partnerships.
Comparisons with past Indian pairs
Partnerships between Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raj (57 innings) and Mithali Raj and Punam Raut (34 innings) had produced 13 fifty-plus stands each. Mandhana and Rawal’s consistency has been remarkable, achieving 50-plus partnerships in 14 of their 21 innings together. By the 15th over, India was 73/0, surpassing the previous highest opening stand against Australia in Women’s World Cups—69 runs by Anjum Chopra and Anagha Deshpande in 2009.
Mandhana fastest to reach 5000 runs in ODI
Smriti Mandhana loves breaking records, and on Sunday, October 12, she added two major milestones to her name. After becoming the first batter in the world to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in women’s ODIs, Mandhana also became the fastest batter globally to reach 5000 runs in WODIs. She achieved the mark in just her 112th ODI innings, surpassing the previous record held by Stafanie Taylor.
Century milestones
Rawal was dropped at 93 in the 18th over, and the pair crossed 100 runs in quick succession, recording their fourth 100-plus partnership of 2025. This ranks second globally behind Australia’s Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley (five in 2000) and New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest (four in 2015). For India, only Mithali Raj and Punam Raut have more century stands with seven in 34 innings; Mandhana and Rawal now have six century stands in just 21 innings.
You may also like
Dalit IPS officer's death: AAP to hold candlelight marches across Punjab
BBC Countryfile's Adam Henson highlights key flaw in Clarkson's Farm
South Korea: 36.7 per cent of online govt services restored after data centre fire
Mamata Banerjee is habitual of 'victim-blaming' in rape cases: BJP
UK high street full of 'landmarks and secret spots' in country's 'coolest' neighbourhood
