Smriti Mandhana stood and applauded Harmanpreet Kaur after her century in Vadodara
Harmanpreet Kaur scored her eighth ODI hundred at the BCA Stadium
India recovered from an early collapse after Mandhana and Shafali Verma fell cheaply
Smriti Mandhana’s applause for centurion Harmanpreet Kaur was the emotional high point as India seized control of the second women’s ODI against Zimbabwe in Vadodara on Sunday, October 24. The India captain got to her feet to salute her predecessor after Harmanpreet completed her eighth ODI hundred at the BCA Stadium.
The gesture also stirred attention because discussion over their relationship has followed Mandhana since she assumed leadership from Harmanpreet. Talk of a strained equation has lingered, but the exchange between the two batters on Sunday briefly overshadowed everything else.
The moment came with India already on top. Harmanpreet’s century, along with India’s strong total, left Zimbabwe with a demanding chase in the second match of the three-game series.
India's Early Wobble
India were off to a poor start. Mandhana fell in the opening over after miscuing a pull shot, while Shafali Verma was caught at mid-wicket to give Nomvelo Sibanda her second wicket.
Pratika Rawal steadied the innings. Her 61 off 67 balls, alongside Harmanpreet, helped India build a 124-run stand for the third wicket after the early setback.
That partnership altered the course of the innings. Rawal departed at deep mid-wicket in the 23rd over, and Tejal Hasabnis also failed to get her slog sweep away.
Harmanpreet's Milestone Knock
Harmanpreet then took centre stage. She paced the innings smartly and moved India into a commanding position through the middle overs.
Zimbabwe let chances slip. Harmanpreet was put down three times before she reached her hundred, which was her eighth in ODIs.
The knock carried extra significance. Freed from the captaincy burden, the veteran batter appears to be thriving in her new role and batting with more freedom.
Late Overs Finish
India still did not finish as strongly as they would have liked. Designated finisher Richa Ghosh was dismissed cheaply, which slowed the scoring in the closing overs.
Deepti Sharma supplied the late surge. She raised her second ODI hundred with a boundary through square leg in the final over and ended with 15 boundaries in all.
Zimbabwe face a steep challenge. Given their batting struggles on tour, they will need a major improvement with the bat to threaten India’s imposing total.
