Harmanpreet turns clock back and powers India to cleansweep

India completed a 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe with a 92-run win in the third T20I in Raipur on Tuesday, but the series finale also exposed some concerns around their experiments. Harmanpreet Kaur’s sublime unbeaten 91 off 41 balls and Shafali Verma’s 69 powered India to 216/7, but some of the players given opportunities may have been left disappointed.

With the series already sealed after Sunday’s nine-wicket win, India chose to bat first for the first time in the series and made several changes to their batting order.

Smriti Mandhana gave up her opening position to Anushka Sharma, who started cautiously before cutting and punching short deliveries outside off. She also dispatched Tendai Makusha’s half-tracker over mid-wicket for six, but fell for 28 while trying to clear the same fielder, with Nyasha Gwanzura taking a fine catch.

Niki Prasad was promoted to number three but fell for nine after scoring a boundary early in her innings. She miscued an aerial shot and Loryn Phiri eventually completed a juggling catch at mid-off, giving Gwanzura her first wicket.

Shafali and Harmanpreet then took control with an 84-run third-wicket partnership. Shafali struck Kudzai Chigora through backward point before punishing Gwanzura with a six over wide long-on. She then smashed Phiri for two sixes, reaching her fifty off 27 balls. Her aggression eventually cost her wicket as she holed out to long-on for 69.

Steady start

Harmanpreet, meanwhile, took her time initially, reaching 11 off 11 balls. She shifted gears in the 13th over against Chigora, hitting a length ball over mid-off for four before pulling a short one over long-on for six. Another six over deep backward square leg followed, and Harmanpreet was suddenly in full flow.

Beloved Biza faced the onslaught next as Harmanpreet danced down to hit her over long-off, followed by an 82-metre six over long-on in the 16th over. She reached her 19th T20I fifty off 25 balls with three successive boundaries off Sibanda.

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Even as wickets fell around her, Harmanpreet maintained her aggressive intent, striking Makusha twice through point before launching Biza over long-off. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy fell cheaply, but Harmanpreet stayed till the end to ensure India posted a formidable total.

The bowling offered another opportunity for a fringe player, with leg-spinner Prema Rawat coming in for N Sree Charani. Against an opposition that had managed 102 and 114 in the previous two matches, Rawat had a chance to make a case for herself.

Instead, she conceded 36 runs in her first three overs without taking a wicket.

Introduced in the seventh over with Zimbabwe 31/2 and well behind the required run rate, Rawat immediately came under pressure from Beloved Biza and Sharne Mayers. Mayers picked the length ball outside off and launched it over mid-off for six, after which Mandhana took Rawat out of the attack.

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Rawat returned in the 12th over and looked to have settled her nerves, conceding just seven runs. That gave Mandhana enough confidence to bring her back for another over, hoping she could find a breakthrough.

Instead, Mayers went after her again. She struck a six over long-off, then used the width when Rawat went short to find a boundary behind point before going over long-off for another maximum. The final six brought up her fifty. Rawat conceded 20 in the over and finished wicketless.

The others had to complete the job. Nandni Sharma emerged as India’s best bowler, claiming 3/18 in four overs. Niki took 1/5 in two overs, including Mayers’ wicket in the 15th over after the batter had raced to 60 off 49 balls. Deepti took 1/18, while Kranti Gaud and Arundhati picked up a wicket apiece.

Brief Scores: India 216/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 91 not out, Shafali Verma 69) beat Zimbabwe 124/7 in 20 overs (Sharne Mayers 60, Beloved Biza 44; Nandni Sharma 3/18) by 92 runs.