What Mindset Led Harmanpreet to Her ODI Ton Against England?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Harmanpreet Kaur's leadership is pivotal for the Indian women's team.
- The importance of patience and focus in cricket.
- Strategic partnerships can significantly impact match outcomes.
- Younger players like Kranti Gaud are emerging as future stars.
- Understanding opponents is crucial for performance.
New Delhi, July 23 (NationPress) The Indian women’s cricket team clinched a 2-1 series victory in the ODI format against England at Chester-le-Street, all thanks to skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and her remarkable seventh ODI century.
In a recent video shared by the BCCI Women’s account on ‘X’, Harleen Deol conducted an interview with the team captain, probing if she has any particular sentiments towards England, especially given her impressive record against them, and what her approach was during the match.
“I hold no grievances towards England; in fact, my first century was against them, which instills confidence in me whenever I face them. My focus was merely on staying at the wicket; if you remain there, the runs will naturally come. Previously, I felt rushed, but today the goal was to spend more time at the crease,” Harmanpreet explained.
Following the dismissal of Smriti Mandhana in the 18th over, Harmanpreet and Harleen forged a crucial partnership, accumulating 81 runs for the third wicket. Harleen inquired how the captain assessed their collaboration.
“It was a pivotal moment; we required a partnership and also needed quick runs since we had already spent time batting. From that point, we needed to score as swiftly as possible for the team. We calculated effectively, monitored the runs scored each over, identified which bowler to target; we ticked all the necessary boxes for a successful partnership,” Harmanpreet elaborated.
After Lauren Bell secured Harleen’s wicket, Jemimah Rodriguez and the captain formed a robust 110-run stand for the fourth wicket, propelling India to a total of 318/5 and ultimately securing a 13-run victory.
“We’ve seen Jemimah perform exceptionally for the team repeatedly. While at the crease, we discussed the importance of staying out there, and I took my time; she felt similarly and executed brilliantly,” she added.
At just 21 years and 345 days, Kranti Gaud became the youngest pace bowler to achieve 6 or more wickets in a women’s ODI innings. Harmanpreet shared her player of the match accolade with the young talent as a recognition of her potential displayed at Chester-le-Street.