Harmanpreet, Deepti tons secure series win for India
India rode on the centuries to post 328 and secure a massive 121-run win
Harmanpreet Kaur took her tally of ODI centuries for India to eight - one past Mithali Raj, to set up the hosts' series win in the company of Deepti Sharma. The ex-captain and Deepti hit 15 fours each in a batting masterclass that sent Zimbabwe fielders on a leather hunt for half the evening as they conceded a 328. Any joy they had with breakthroughs were brief as this pair piled on a 153-run stand.
Zimbabwe batters got starts but couldn't keep up with the mounting asking rate and fell away, giving 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma a four-wicket haul. Deepti tormented Zimbabwe with the ball too, bagging three wickets. There was a short period of time in this game where Zimbabwe didn't look completely out of sorts. Smriti Mandhana chose to bat, but Zimbabwe didn't let her do it beyond two balls as Novmelo Sibanda dismissed her in the opening over. Shafali Verma was then snuffed out in the third over by Sibanda, pushing India to 19/2. Before Harmanpreet and Deepti got together, another essay-reviving stand ensued.
Harmanpreet and opener Pratika Rawal dragged India out of the woods by adding 124 runs, during which Rawal got to a brisk half-century. They kicked on soon after coming together, pushing India to 68/2 in 10 overs. They maintained the scoring rate through the middle-overes too, with Rawal reaching her fifty in the 19th over. Harmanpreet got to her fifty too and India were getting fours and sixes at will.
But against the run of play, Rawal was sent packing for 61 off 67 - caught at the deep midwicket boundary by Beloved Biza. India then lost Tejal Hasabnis in a jiffy, but that paved the way for the Harmanpreet-Deepti encore. Deepti raced to a 37-ball fifty and the pair set India up for a flourish in the death. Harmanpreet brought up her hundred in the 41st, making most of the three dropped catches that came at different junctures of the innings. Substitute fielder Kudzai Chigora held the fourth opportunity and Harmanpreet exited for a 121-ball 126. Deepti carried on, getting her ton in the final over and finishing on an 86-ball 106*.
Zimbabwe's chase didn't take off. Opening batter Loryn Phiri struggled her way to a 22-ball six before being dismissed on the 23rd, by Shree Charani. The only time Zimbabwe showed they could put up a fight was during the second-wicket partnership between Modester Mupachikwa and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano. They added 69 and got 40s each but that was as far as the visitors could go.
Once Sayali Satghare cleaned up Tiripano, the downward spiral began. Vaishnavi swooped in, in the middle overs and dug her heels into the middle-order that fully derailed Zimbabwe. They went from 107/2 to 168/5, falling well behind the eight-ball. Deepti, who finished well with the bat, did the honours with the ball too by dismissing Nyasha Gwanzura, Sibanda and Tendai Makusha. The Zimbabwean chase was wrapped up in the 49th over, leading to India's massive victory.
Brief Scores: India Women 328/6 in 50 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 126, Deepti Sharma 106*, Pratika Rawal 61; Nomvelo Sibanda 2-38) beat Zimbabwe Women 207 in 48.5 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 49, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 46; Vaishnavi Sharma 4-39, Deepti Sharma 3-32) by 121 runs
