Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma produced brilliant centuries to help India register a dominant 121-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second women’s ODI on Sunday. The win also helped India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after winning the opening game by nine wickets.
Batting first, India put up an imposing total of 328/6. In reply, Zimbabwe struggled against India’s spin attack and were bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs. Vaishnavi Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Deepti also chipped in with the ball, ending with figures of 3/32.
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Harmanpreet Kaur Leads From The Front With Eighth ODI Century
Harmanpreet was at her best with the bat, scoring 126 off 121 balls. Her innings included 15 boundaries as she took control of the game and kept the scoreboard moving with some excellent shots.
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The former India captain looked particularly comfortable playing on the off-side, with her cover drives and cut shots standing out. She also received a few lifelines, as Zimbabwe dropped her three times during her stay at the crease.
The century was Harmanpreet’s eighth in women’s ODIs. She has also been in good touch in the ongoing series, having scored a match-winning 91 in one of the earlier T20Is.
Harmanpreet appears to be enjoying her role as a specialist batter after stepping away from the captaincy. Her knock against Zimbabwe was another reminder of her ability to dominate an innings when she finds her rhythm.
Deepti Sharma Completes A Fine All-Round Performance
Deepti provided excellent support to Harmanpreet and remained unbeaten on 106 off 86 balls. She struck 15 boundaries and brought up her second ODI century with a four towards square leg in the final over of India’s innings.
The two experienced players added 153 runs together, putting India in a strong position after the team had lost a couple of early wickets.
Earlier, Pratika Rawal also played an important role, scoring 61 off 67 balls. She shared a 124-run partnership with Harmanpreet to help India recover from a poor start.
India’s innings began on a disappointing note as Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were dismissed cheaply. Mandhana, who has recently taken over the captaincy, mistimed a pull shot in the opening over, while Shafali was caught at mid-wicket off Nomvelo Sibanda’s bowling.
Pratika’s dismissal in the 23rd over brought an end to her partnership with Harmanpreet. Tejal Hasanbis also failed to make a significant contribution, while designated finisher Richa Ghosh could not stay at the crease for long.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Deepti’s unbeaten century ensured India finished with a challenging total of 328/6.
Vaishnavi Sharma Leads India’s Spin Attack
Zimbabwe needed a much-improved batting performance to challenge India’s total, but the visitors struggled to build partnerships against the home team’s bowlers.
Vaishnavi, playing only her second women’s ODI, delivered an impressive spell and picked up four wickets. Her disciplined bowling put Zimbabwe under pressure and left the visitors with little chance of completing the chase.
Deepti added to Zimbabwe’s problems by taking three wickets after her century, completing an impressive all-round performance.
Modester Mupachikwa top-scored for Zimbabwe with 49 runs, while Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano contributed 46. But no batter managed to convert her start into a big innings while the rest of the batting line-up failed to provide enough resistance.
Zimbabwe were eventually bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs, handing India a comfortable win.
India Seal The Series With One Match To Go
The victory gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The hosts had already won the first match by nine wickets and continued their strong run with another convincing performance.