Picture this. Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma scored centuries to power India to a big win. Now ask yourself: which of the two blazed her way to triple figures?
If your gut said Harmanpreet, it failed you.
A restrained Harmanpreet played the artisan while Deepti played destroyer, with their record-breaking 153-run fifth-wicket stand laying the foundation of India’s 121-run win and unassailable 2-0 lead. India was stuttering at 19 for two in the third over — Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma both undone by Nomvelo Sibanda’s short-ball ploy — when Harmanpreet joined Pratika Rawal. On a sweltering Sunday at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, the second ODI against Zimbabwe turned the script on its head.
Pratika, fresh from a hundred in the first ODI, and Harmanpreet added 124 off 118 balls. As many as 32 of the pair’s first 47 runs came through Deepti’s audacious shots on the leg-side while Harmanpreet whipped out a catalogue of puritanical drives and cuts on the off-side. Neither did tears, like the 91 she scored in the third T20I had drawn out of her. Deepti, too, eventually braved a slowdown to reach her second ODI century in the final over — nine years after her first — helping India set an intimidating 329-run target. With help from Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, the Lady Chevrons got to 100 in just 19 overs, aided by India’s worrying inability to take wickets, especially the seamers. While Zimbabwe ticked one box by crossing 200, its bid to last the full 50 overs was yet to be achieved. The scores: India 328/6 in 50 overs (Pratika Rawal 61, Harmanpreet Kaur 126, Deepti Sharma 106 n.o.) bt Zimbabwe 207 in 48.5 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 49, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 46, Beloved Biza 34, Deepti 3/32, Vaishnavi Sharma 4/39). Third ODI: October 28 , 2 p.m.
The former looked set for another ton, with four fours and two sixes, before Nyasha Gwanzura deceived her with a drop in pace. Tejal Hasabnis followed soon after. But Harmanpreet remained unfazed, aided by a fearless Deepti who arrived as if stepping in for a net session. When the century came, celebrations oddly didn’t. Modester Mupachikwa’s sprightly start, despite losing Loryn Phiri early, gave Zimbabwe hope. Sayali Satghare finally succeeded in breaching Mugeri-Tiripano’s defence. Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma’s guile and persistence then took centrestage. She removed Mupachikwa for her maiden ODI wicket, before dismissing Beloved Biza, Michelle Mavunga and skipper Josephine Nkomo in a cluster. Deepti then ran through the tail, before Jintimani Kalita opened her account in the format. Toss: India; PoM: Harmanpreet.