Ton-up Smriti, spinners hand India-W massive 143-run win over South Africa in 1st ODI
Bengaluru, Jun 16: Smriti Mandhana's resolute hundred and a disciplined bowling effort, led by spinners Deepti Sharma and Asha Shobana, piloted India to a huge 143-run win over South Africa in the first women's ODI here on Sunday.
India now lead the three-match series 1-0, and the second game will be played here on June 19.
Mandhana's sixth ODI century (117, 127 balls , 12x4s, 1x6) formed the fulcrum of India's competitive 265 for eight on a sluggish Chinnaswamy pitch.
Then the Indian bowlers worked their magic around the South African batters to bowl out the visitors for 122 as debutante leg-spinner Asha (4/21) led the show with a frugal spell and was well-supported by offie Deepti (2/10).
Pacer Renuka Singh (1/30) gave India the perfect start, dismissing the in-form South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt in the first over itself.
Wolvaardt had no answer for an excellent nip-backer from Renuka that clipped the top of her off-stump.
The Indians soon fetched the wickets of Tazmine Brits and Anneke Bosch as the tourists slumped to 33 for three.
The experienced Marizane Kapp (24, 39 balls), who hammered Renuka for successive four and six, tried to revive the innings with Sune Luus who fought well with a 33.
But their fourth wicket alliance of 39 runs consumed 68 balls as the asking rate climbed over seven which never really came down thereafter.
Asha ended that struggle when the leg-spinner had Kapp caught at covers by Harmanpreet Kaur.
At five down for 74, South Africa were always facing the climb up the hill.
Earlier, India's script for victory was written by Mandhana, who thrilled the home crowd with a well-paced hundred.
Mandhana stitched two significant partnerships with the feisty Deepti (37, 48 balls, 3x4s) and Pooja Vastrakar (31 not out) to take India out of trouble after the hosts found themselves at 99 for five at one stage.
Mandhana and Deepti added 81 runs (92 balls) for the sixth wicket and Pooja, who had to leave the field later with a knee niggle while fielding, assisted the Indian vice-captain to make 58 runs (54 balls) for the seventh wicket.
Mandhana has a lot of flair in her batting.
But here she was forced to eschew that because of the team situation and the sluggish nature of the pitch to which India top-order batters like Shafali Verma (7), Harmanpreet (10) and Jemimah Rodrigues (17) failed to adapt, leading to their soft dismissals.
Mandhana was on 33 when India's fifth batter fell, and she had to preserve her wicket to take India forward.
Largely making her runs through those nips and tucks, Mandhana was also happy to free her hands when width was offered.
The left-hander's swivel pull off debutant pacer Anne Dercksen and a little shimmy down the track to deposit offie Nondumiso Shangase over mid-on had streaks of her elegance.
But credit should also go to Deepti in making Mandhana's job easier, playing a confident innings.
Deepti picked her bowlers and spots well to accumulate runs. The left-hander took a liking for Shangase, whom she swept for all her three boundaries.
But the low bounce did Deepti in as she dragged pacer Ayabonga Khaka's wide delivery on to her stumps.
However, Mandhana continued her solid ways and reached 99 off 115 balls from 93 with a beautifully timed six off pacer Masabata Klaas over mid-on.
She took a single in the next ball of Klaas to reach hundred in 116 balls.
However, Mandhana soon fell to Klaas but by then she had helped India reach a handy total.
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Drug addiction sign of mental illness, says DC Mullai Muhilan
Mangaluru: Drug addiction is a sign of mental illness and there is a critical need for awareness among students, stated Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan at the ‘Drugs Free India’ awareness program. Organized by the Counseling Department of St. Aloysius PU College in collaboration with the District Administration, Mangaluru Police Commissionerate, Indian Coast Guard, and the Customs Commissionerate, the event took place on Tuesday.
Delivering the keynote address, DC Mullai Muhilan emphasized the importance of counseling centers in every school to educate students about the dangers of drug addiction. He highlighted the correlation between the increasing number of educational institutions in Dakshina Kannada District and the rising supply and demand for narcotic drugs. He stressed the need for continuous efforts to dismantle the supply chain of narcotics and initiatives to curb the demand through systematic education.
“Anti-drug units have been established in 528 colleges across the district. These units operate with utmost confidentiality, allowing students to report information about drug supply and abuse, thereby preventing their peers from falling into the trap of addiction,” Muhilan said.
Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal reported that over 500 cases related to drug supply and abuse had been registered in the past six months, with 400 cases pertaining specifically to drug abuse. He noted that many complaints came from mothers about the deteriorating behavior and habits of their children. Agrawal stressed the importance of self-awareness among students to avoid drug addiction and urged them to stay away from narcotics.
Mangaluru Customs Commissioner P Vinitha Shekhar described narcotics as a ‘social menace’ and explained the customs department’s role in search and destroy operations in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. She highlighted India's vulnerability to drug trafficking due to its proximity to opium-producing countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. She also pointed out the link between drug supply networks and the funding of terrorist organizations.
District Coast Guard Centre DIG P K Mishra, through an illustrative story, encouraged students to contribute to society by reporting unusual behavior in their friends and peers that might indicate drug abuse.
Fr. Clifford Sequeira, Principal of St. Aloysius PU College, and Dr. B K Kiran Kumar from the Department of Psychology at the Institute of Medical Sciences were also present at the event.
