One-off Test: Could not ask for better venue than Lord's for my 300th international match, says Mandhana
London, July 10
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana expressed immense pride on reaching the landmark of 300 international appearances through the first-ever women's Test at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground, saying that she couldn't have asked for a better venue to mark this occasion.
At 29 years and 357 days old, Mandhana has also become the youngest woman in the history of cricket to achieve the feat, and got it faster than South Africa's Sune Luus (30y 163d) and Australia's Ellyse Perry (33y 65d). The left-handed opener is also the 12th woman overall to feature in 300 international matches.
"I actually got to know about the 300th international match last night. As a player, you don't really keep track of games across all formats. I remember playing the 2017 World Cup final here at Lord's.
"I didn't have a great World Cup then, and I didn't know if I'd get the chance to play for India again. So to come back and play my 300th international match at Lord's, I couldn't ask for a better venue," said Smriti in a pre-game chat with the broadcasters.
She also emphasised on the need to move forward after India had a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. "We had a chance at Lord's to qualify against Australia (in the T20 World Cup). We couldn't take that opportunity, but that's cricket. You have to keep moving on.
"Whether you get a hundred or a zero, every time you go out there, you start your innings from zero. It's the same with the team. You're going to have good days and bad days, but we'll always take it in stride and try to give our best for the country," said Smriti.
Detailing with the transition to red-ball cricket and her preparation, Smriti added, "Batting for long periods definitely helps, especially since we don't play a lot of Test cricket. We did play the pink-ball Test in Perth before. Going back to Wormsley was great. I hadn't been there since 2014, so it brought back old memories.
"For me, the preparation is about adjusting after opening in T20 cricket, where you're expected to score quickly at a high strike rate. In red-ball cricket, you need to watch the ball carefully. Going back to basics is very important. The preparation was all about doing the basic things right and spending long periods at the crease."
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's great to see Smriti's humility shine through in her comments. She could have easily become complacent after achieving so much, but her approach of starting each innings from zero is something even our men's team could learn from. The way she spoke about moving on from the T20 World Cup disappointment shows maturity. However, I wish BCCI would schedule more women's Test matches so players like her can develop even further in the longer format.
Wow, Mandhana is an absolute legend! I'm from Australia and I've followed her career closely - she's been a consistent performer against our team too. The way she adjusts her game between T20s and red-ball cricket is amazing. 300 matches for any player is massive, but to do it at Lord's, where she had that heartbreak in 2017... it's just poetic. Can't wait to see her achieve even more! 👏
As someone who has watched Indian women's cricket since the early 2000s, seeing Smriti Mandhana reach 300 matches is a proud moment. She's carried the team on her shoulders through ups and downs. I just wish the cricket boards would give women's Tests the same importance as men's Tests. We only play one Test every few years, and players have to constantly switch formats. Smriti's ability to adapt is incredible, but the system could do better to support our women cricketers.
Smriti Mandhana's comment about not knowing about the 300th match until last night is so relatable! 😂 It shows how focused she is on the game rather than milestones. Her journey from the 2017 Lord's final to this moment is truly inspirational. She's such a graceful player and speaks so well about the game. The women's game needs more players like her who lead with both bat and attitude!
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