'My action was similar to Virat': Smriti Mandhana takes Kohli-style wicket in first match she bowls

Smriti Mandhana shone brightly in the 2nd ODI against South Africa in Bengaluru on Wednesday, making history with her exceptional performance. The star India batter equalled former captain Mithali Raj's record for the most centuries in women's ODIs by an Indian player, scoring her seventh century. Mandhana's remarkable knock of 136 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, combined with Harmanpreet Kaur's century, propelled India to a formidable total of 325/3 in 50 overs.

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Smriti Mandhana takes maiden wicket in Virat Kohli's style

However, Smriti Mandhana's heroics were not limited to her batting. For the first time in her international career, she showcased her bowling skills, claiming the wicket of South Africa's Aune Luus. This maiden wicket was made even more special as her bowling action drew comparisons to that of Virat Kohli. In 2018, Mandhana herself had remarked that her bowling style resembled Kohli's, a sentiment echoed by fans on social media.

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IND-W vs SA-W, 2nd ODI

India had beaten South Africa by 143 runs in the first match here on Sunday.

It was a matter of margin once India posted an imposing 325 for three, riding on Mandhana’s 136 (120b, 18x4, 2x6) and Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 103 (88b, 9x4, 3x6), their seventh and sixth one-day tons respectively.

However, the Proteas fought back through Kapp (114, 94b, 11x4, 3x6) and Wolvaardt (135 not out, 135b, 12x4 3x6), who added 184 runs off 170 balls for the fourth wicket, but could manage 321 for six.

The Chinnaswamy pitch stayed truer as compared to the previous match, and the Indian bowlers had to be precise in their line and length on this day to be effective.

They did just that. At no point, the home bowlers allowed SA batters a free run, picking up wickets at regular intervals.

Pacer Arundhati Reddy, who replaced Renuka Singh, gave India a good beginning, beating the defence of Tazmin Brits with a delivery that came in by that bit.

(With PTI inputs)