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The opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal is rapidly establishing itself as arguably the best India has ever seen in ODIs. The duo showcased their 'A-game' precisely when the Women in Blue needed it most, during the crucial group stage clash against world-beaters Australia on Sunday (October 12) at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, during the 2025 Women's World Cup.
Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal weave historic partnership
With India batting first, the partnership began cautiously, scoring only 23 runs in the initial six overs. However, once spin was introduced, they exploded into action. They brilliantly took on two of the world's best spinners, Sophie Molineux and Ashleigh Gardner, hitting exquisitely timed boundaries. By the time of writing, they had posted a partnership exceeding 129 runs, a total that secured a new record: the highest-ever opening stand against Australia in Women's World Cups. This feat broke the long-standing record of 101 runs set by England's E Bakewell and D Thomas in the inaugural World Cup back in 1973.
Their dominance was highlighted in the ninth over, where Rawal hit a six and a four against Gardner, helping them cross the 50-run mark together. This marked their 14th 50-plus partnership in ODIs. Crucially, they achieved this high number of consistent stands in only 21 innings together, making it the second-highest number of such partnerships for India in this format.
The pairing of Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal has quickly ascended the ranks of India's best ODI partnerships. Their 14 fifty-plus stands in just 21 innings already surpasses the 13 fifty-plus stands achieved by both the duos of Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raj (in 57 innings) and Mithali Raj and Punam Raut (in 34 innings). The Mandhana-Rawal pair is now only behind the record of 18 fifty-plus partnerships held by Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj, a milestone that took that formidable pair 56 innings to reach.
Breaking World Cup and century Records
In the 15th over of the match, with the score at 73/0, the Mandhana-Rawal duo set a new mark for India by achieving the highest opening stand against Australia in Women’s World Cups, surpassing the 69-run partnership by Anjum Chopra and Anagha Deshpande in the 2009 World Cup. The partnership received a slice of luck when Rawal was dropped with the score at 93 in the 18th over. They quickly capitalised, racing past 100 runs together, marking their fourth 100-plus partnership of 2025.
This four-century-stand feat is one of the best in a single calendar year
This four-century-stand feat is one of the best in a single calendar year, tying New Zealand's Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest (2015) and sitting just behind Australia’s Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley (five in 2000). Mandhana and Rawal are also closing in on India's all-time record for century stands, having already notched six century partnerships in 21 innings, with only the seven century stands by Mithali Raj and Punam Raut (in 34 innings) ahead of them.
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