'See, I got it today' - Mandhana rises to Radha's challenge to score first T20I hundred

Challenge accepted, Radha Yadav. That was the message behind Smriti Mandhana's beaming smile and pointed finger trained directly at her cheeky - but in hindsight exceptionally clever - team-mate as India's stand-in captain raised her maiden T20I century.

At the 143rd time of asking and after more than a decade waiting, Mandhana became the second India woman to reach the milestone in an innings of 112 off 62 balls, which crushed England in the opening match of India's tour.

The first was Harmanpreet Kaur, for whom Mandhana learned two hours before the start of play at Trent Bridge she would be filling in as the regular captain recovers from a head knock sustained during Wednesday's warm-up game.

Mandhana's score was the highest for India in women's T20Is, eclipsing Harmanpreet's 103 against New Zealand at the 2018 World Cup. She also became the first for her team to score centuries in all three formats, joining Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Laura Wolvaardt and Beth Mooney on the list.

This felt like a long time coming. In her previous 12 T20I innings, Mandhana had reached 50 seven times. Over the course of her career, she has amassed 30 half-centuries. So it seems Radha had decided now was the time to give her acting skipper a little pep talk.

"Three days back, me and Radha Yadav, we were having a conversation," Mandhana said. "These girls are really hard on me sometimes. She was telling me, 'It's high time you get a century in T20Is, you keep getting out in the 70s, 80s and you are not doing justice to your talent' and all of that stuff.

"I was like, 'okay, Radha, I'll see now, this time I'll try and get it in one of the matches in the series'."

After Mandhana brought up the milestone, off just 51 balls with back-to-back fours off Lauren Bell, she removed her helmet, smiled broadly, and pointed towards the changeroom.

"I did not think that it would come in the first match, but the finger was towards her, that 'see, I got it today'," Mandhana said. "Because it's pretty frustrating to get out in the 70s and 80s over the last ten years and when you had that opportunity to take the team through. So I'm happy that I could stay and take the team to the 19th and the 20th over."

Mandhana's knock led India to an imposing 210 for 5, their second-highest total in T20Is, and a thumping 97-run victory over England, bowled out for 113 as debutant spinner N Shree Charani claimed 4 for 12.

Smiling back at Mandhana and applauding as she soaked in the moment was Harmanpreet, who had been in doubt when she missed the pre-match press conference. Mandhana covered for her in that instance, too, and prepared for the prospect of doing so on-field by making plans with her bowlers on the eve of the game.

"Harman was getting assessed over last night and this morning and there were a few scans to be done," Mandhana said. "We had a 50-50 idea, so I had a chat with the bowlers around what the plans are and I was pretty ready last night but the confirmation came today.

"As a batter, it doesn't change a lot. You don't think that you are captaining and you bat differently. Whenever you have the bat in hand, you have to do the job for the team regardless of the position you are in, so I'm really happy that I could contribute today."

"We saw what she could do in the WPL a little bit. She was always looking like a really good bowler. But today the way she actually bowled was amazing, as did all the bowlers"Smriti Mandhana on N Shree Charani

Mandhana did captain very well, using her spinners to devastating effect. She capitalised on Danni Wyatt-Hodge's struggles against fingerspin this summer - she was bowled three times in as many matches against West Indies by left-arm spinner Zaida James - and the experienced Deepti Sharma and Radha helped reduce England to 62 for 4.

Then she trusted in Charani, who came into the game with just five ODIs to her name after making her international debut during the tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in April.

Charani removed Alice Capsey, who spooned lamely to short third, fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who made a comeback to forget with an expensive 1 for 43 at 14.33 an over before holing out to midwicket on 1.

She then claimed the big wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt, the only England batter to stand tall with 66 off 42 balls as wickets fell all around her, and took the final wicket of tailender Bell.

"The way the bowlers bowled and executed the plan, it was just amazing," Mandhana said. "That makes our job very, very easy when they bowl like that and they all were really focused, they knew their plans.

"Especially Shree, to come in the first match and bowl. We saw what she could do in the WPL a little bit. She was always looking like a really good bowler. But today the way she actually bowled was amazing, as did all the bowlers.

"After a few wickets fell and Nat was on the one end, the plan was pretty clear - to try and execute our best ball to Nat and give a single to her, which they did brilliantly throughout."

One thing that didn't quite go India's way was Shafali Verma's return, where she reprised her opening role with Mandhana. Shafali struggled to get going and made 20 off 22 balls, albeit in a 77-run stand with a batting partner who could do no wrong.

"I've seen Shafali bat in the last seven-eight days amazingly well in the nets," Mandhana said. "So I don't see a big knock too far because of the way she's been hitting the ball. Sometimes coming back into the Indian team and coming into the first match, of course, there are a different kind of nerves. I'm sure this match is going to take those nerves away for her.

"The way she's playing in the nets, she's just timing the ball really well. So the only thing which I said to her was just keep timing the ball and play the ball, don't think about anything else. I see a big knock coming in the next four matches from her."