While Indian team took on New Zealand in the first match of the two-Test series at Basin Reserve in Wellington, the women’s team played the opening game of Women’s T20 World Cup against hosts Australia.

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana who has impressed everyone with her batting in the past failed to score in this match as she only scored 10 runs off 11 deliveries.

Even though Mandhana did not have a good day at the office, the former Kiwi all-rounder Scott Styris who was doing commentary for the men’s game praised the left-hand batter and called her ‘Virat Kohli’ of women’s cricket.

According to Styris, Mandhana has the capability to make a big impact on women’s cricket just like legendary Viv Richards did in men’s cricket.

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“She’s (Smriti Mandhana) the Virat Kohli of women’s cricket. And will be remembered as someone who changed women’s cricket much like Viv Richards did a long time ago in men’s cricket,” Styris said while he was doing commentary in the India-New Zealand Test.

Even though the Indian men’s team did not have the best of the outings on the first day as the scoreboard reads 122/5 at the end of the day’s play, the Women in Blue had a superb game as they started their World Cup campaign with a win and that too against the defending champions and the home team Australia.

(With Hindustan Times inputs)