Harman’s see-ball, hit-ball knock stuns world

Derby, July 21

Last evening, Harmanpreet Kaur was a very angry woman after she completed 100 runs. She pulled off her gloves, removed her helmet and threw them away and shouted angry words at Deepti Sharma. 

This isn’t her preferred manner of celebrating a 100. In fact she didn’t care she’d got 100. She was angry because an Indian wicket could have fallen through a run out. She had hit the ball and called for two runs, but her partner, Deepti, had hesitated, and though both dived to the crease at different ends of the pitch, one of them could have got out.

So, unmindful of the fact that she’d got her 100 — her third in ODIs — she threw a volley of angry words at Deepti, who seemed ready to sink into the ground. 

“I got a little bit angry, but we are fine now,” Harmanpreet said later. “Of course, it was heat of the moment and I said sorry to her because I didn’t want to lose my wicket at that moment and I didn’t want to lose her wicket too.”

Beating the best

Harmanpreet was angry because she knew that to beat Australia, the defending champions, India needed a score of at least 250 in an innings reduced to 42 overs after rain. Australia were the best team of the group stage, and to knock them out of the semifinals, India needed to do something remarkable. Harmanpreet, 28, did it for India.

Harmanpreet idolises Virender Sehwag and she played like her idol yesterday — see ball, hit ball. “Today’s plan was just watch the ball, hit it hard and this is what I was doing,” she said. 

“Of course that was the best innings I have ever played. It was my best ODI score and I really enjoyed it,” Harmanpreet said. She had not been very happy with her World Cup so far — she’d made only 137 runs from six innings, with a highest of 60. That 60 too came late, in the last group match against New Zealand, a must-win game.

Now she’d got her chance in the semifinals, and she cashed in.

Go, attack

“I hadn’t planned for it. I had thought when I got a chance to bat that I should go with a particular approach for runs,” Harmanpreet said. “Whatever happened, even if we were one wicket down, or two, or three, I wouldn’t let it interrupt my batting flow, I wouldn’t get tensed, because we can bat deep.”

“That was all I was thinking, that if I get a chance to hit boundaries, I would continue that,” she added.

Harmanpreet has been around for some time now — she made her India debut in 2009, after all. Her ability to strike the ball hard is well-known, and that’s the reason she was the first Indian player to be signed for the Women’s Big Bash T20 tournament in Australia.

Still, her show yesterday stunned everyone who saw her play. She had made 68 runs off the first 75 balls she’d faced, at a respectable strike rate of 90.67. After that, she simply went ballistic — over her final 40 balls, she struck 103 runs, at a strike rate of 257.50, with 13 fours and six sixes in those 40 balls. This was sensational stuff.

Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were impressed. Some said this innings reminded them of Kapil Dev’s 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup. The difference, though, is that that was Zimbabwe, a weak team; Harmanpreet got her 171* against the world’s best team.

Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain, said this was the best innings she’d ever seen. Everyone is hoping for an encore on in Sunday’s final.

On her attacking play  against the Aussies 

I hadn't planned for it. I had thought when I got a chance to bat that I should go with a particular approach for runs. Whatever happened, even if we were one wicket down, or two, or three, I wouldn't let it interrupt my batting flow, I wouldn't get tensed, because we can bat deep. That was all I was thinking, that if I get a chance to hit boundaries, I would continue that

On getting angry on reaching 100 

I got a little bit angry, but we are fine now. Of course, it was heat of the moment and I said sorry to her because I didn't want to lose my wicket at that moment and I didn't want to lose her wicket too.

— TNS, with agency inputs