Smriti Mandhana gives standing ovation as Harmanpreet Kaur slams eighth ODI century - Watch

Newly appointed India captain Smriti Mandhana was among those applauding Harmanpreet Kaur after the senior batter scored her eighth ODI century in the second Women's ODI against Zimbabwe in Vadodara on Sunday.Harmanpreet reached the milestone in the 41st over, taking 101 balls to bring up her hundred. The Indian dressing room broke into applause, with Mandhana giving her a standing ovation. Harmanpreet kept her celebrations low-key, exchanging a handshake with Deepti Sharma before getting back to the job at hand.Harmanpreet went on to score 126 off 121 balls, while Deepti remained unbeaten on 106 off 86 deliveries as India recovered from an early collapse to post 328 for six.Harmanpreet was particularly effective on the off-side, finding the boundary with her cover drives and cuts. She shared a 153-run partnership with Deepti, who matched her with an attacking hundred to help India build a strong total.The match is part of the first-ever bilateral series between India and Zimbabwe, giving the visiting side an opportunity to compete against one of the top teams in women's cricket.India, however, did not get off to a good start. Mandhana, leading the side for the first time after her appointment as captain, mistimed a pull shot in the opening over and was dismissed cheaply. Shafali Verma followed soon after, getting caught at mid-wicket off Nomvelo Sibanda, who claimed her second wicket.Pratika Rawal then joined Harmanpreet to steady the innings. The pair added 124 runs before Rawal was caught at deep mid-wicket in the 23rd over after scoring 61 off 67 balls. Tejal Hasanbis also failed to connect with a slog sweep.Harmanpreet took charge from there, pacing her innings well on the way to her century. She also benefited from three dropped catches during her knock.The century was Harmanpreet's eighth in ODIs, and her innings came as she continued her career without the additional responsibility of leading the Indian team.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.