Vadodara witnessed a batting masterclass on Sunday as Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma scored twin centuries to power India to a commanding 121-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second women’s ODI, sealing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
India posted 328 for 6 after being asked to bat first, then bowled Zimbabwe out for 207 in 48.5 overs. The win, coming on the back of a nine-wicket triumph in the series opener, also marked Smriti Mandhana’s first series victory as India’s full-time ODI captain.
It was a day when experience did the talking. Harmanpreet, batting with the freedom of a player in peak form, struck 126 off 121 balls, while Deepti remained unbeaten on 106 off just 86 deliveries. Between them, the two veterans turned a shaky start into a statement win.
Early wickets, then a rescue act
India’s innings did not begin the way the home crowd would have wanted. Captain Mandhana fell for a duck in the very first over, mistiming a pull shot, and Shafali Verma followed soon after for 8, leaving India at 19 for 2.
What followed was a lesson in rebuilding an innings. Pratika Rawal, calm and watchful early on, grew into her knock and added 124 runs with Harmanpreet for the third wicket. Rawal reached her fifty and finished with a polished 61 off 67 balls before falling in the 23rd over.
Tejal Hasabnis could not stay long, and at 149 for 4, Zimbabwe would have fancied their chances of keeping India to a modest total. Instead, they ran into the Harmanpreet and Deepti show.
Two centuries, one match-defining stand
Harmanpreet was brutal and beautiful in equal measure. Her 126 came off 121 balls and included 15 boundaries, all of them timed rather than muscled. The cover drives and cuts, her signature shots, flowed through the off side as the Zimbabwe bowlers ran out of answers. It was her eighth century in women’s ODI cricket, and it came close on the heels of her match-winning 91 in the T20I leg of the tour.
Deepti, at the other end, was sublime. Her unbeaten 106 off 86 balls, also featuring 15 fours, mixed patience with perfectly timed acceleration. The pair added 153 runs for the fifth wicket, a stand that took India from a position of recovery to one of complete dominance.
India’s 328 for 6 was built on just two sixes in the entire innings, a sign of how much of the scoring came from placement and running between the wickets rather than brute power.
Spinners finish the job
Zimbabwe’s chase never truly got going. Modester Mupachikwa top-scored with 49 and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano made 46, but the visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma led the bowling effort with four wickets for 39 runs. Deepti then capped a superb all-round day by polishing off the tail, finishing with three wickets for 32 runs to go with her century.
For Zimbabwe, playing their first-ever bilateral series against India, the tour has been a harsh but valuable education against one of the world’s top sides.
What the series win means
The result gives India the series with a match to spare, and the final ODI will be played on October 28, when the hosts will aim for a clean sweep. For Mandhana, the series win is an early milestone in her tenure as full-time captain, and the form of Harmanpreet as a pure batter continues to be one of the brightest stories in Indian women’s cricket.
With the experienced core firing and young bowlers like Vaishnavi stepping up, India look well placed as they build toward bigger assignments ahead.
FAQs
Who scored centuries for India in the second ODI against Zimbabwe?
Harmanpreet Kaur scored 126 off 121 balls and Deepti Sharma remained unbeaten on 106 off 86 balls in Vadodara.
By how many runs did India win the second ODI?
India won by 121 runs, posting 328 for 6 before bowling Zimbabwe out for 207 in 48.5 overs.
What is the current score in the ODI series?
India lead the three-match series 2-0 after winning the first ODI by nine wickets and the second by 121 runs.
When is the third ODI between India and Zimbabwe women?
The third and final ODI will be played on October 28, with India aiming for a clean sweep.
Who took the most wickets for India in the second ODI?
Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma took four wickets for 39 runs, while Deepti Sharma claimed three for 32.
India will now look to finish the job in style in the final match of the series.
