Nottingham [UK], June 28 : India's stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana and opener Shafali Verma registered their names in the elite list as they went on to build a 77-run partnership in the first T20I of the five-match series against England at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday.
A 77-run opening stand between Mandhana (112 runs off 62 balls) and Shafali (20 in 22 balls, with three fours) kicked things off for the Women in Blue. This partnership helped both the batters register a record of the most 50-plus stands in Women's T20Is for any wicket, which is 21.
The pairs below them to slam most 50-plus stands were Australia's Alyssa Healy-Beth Mooney (20), New Zealand's Suzie Bates-Sophie Devine (18), United Arab Emirates' Kavisha Egodage-Esha Oza (14), and United Arab Emirates' Esha Oza-Theertha Satish (13).
Mandhana also made history as she became the first-ever women's cricketer from India to slam centuries in all formats of international cricket.
Mandhana reached this feat during her side's first T20I of five matches against England at Nottingham on Saturday. During the game, the left-handed opener smashed 112 in just 62 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes, at a strike rate of 180.65.
She is the only one, besides her skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who is not playing the match due to a head injury, to score a T20I century for India in women's T20Is.
Overall, across the world, only five players have achieved this massive accomplishment of being an all-format centurion in women's cricket, with England's Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt and Australia's Beth Mooney being others besides Mandhana.
Coming to the match, England Women skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt won the toss and elected to bowl first.
A 94-run stand followed for the second wicket between Mandhana and Harleen Deol (43 in 23 balls, with seven fours) as India managed to reach 210/5 in 20 overs, with Lauren Bell (3/27) delivering some late strikes.
England needs 211 to take a series lead.