India Women crushed Zimbabwe Women by 121 runs in the second ODI of the three match series at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. After winning the toss, India Women elected to bat first. They lost two quick wickets within the first three overs, but Pratika Rawal and Harmanpreet Kaur steadied the innings with a 124-run partnership for the third wicket before Rawal was dismissed in the 23rd over. Deepti Sharma then joined Harmanpreet and added another 153 runs for the fifth wicket. Harmanpreet scored 126 off 121 balls, while Deepti remained unbeaten on 106 off 86 deliveries. Their outstanding performances helped India recover from an early collapse and post a challenging total of 328/6 in 50 overs. Nomvelo Sibanda was Zimbabwe Women’s most successful bowler, taking 2 wickets for 38 runs in 4 overs. During the chase, Zimbabwe Women showed some resistance, with Modester Mupachikwa and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano contributing valuable runs. However, Vaishnavi Sharma (4/39 in 10 overs) and Deepti Sharma (3/32 in 9 overs) led India’s bowling attack and ensured that the visitors fell well short of the target. Zimbabwe were bowled out 121 runs short, handing India the series victory with one match remaining.

Early Wickets Put India Under Pressure

India opted to bat first, but their innings got off to a difficult start. Captain Smriti Mandhana was dismissed for a duck in the opening over after attempting to pull a short delivery that did not come on as expected. The ball went towards short third, where the catch was taken. Zimbabwe struck again in the third over when Shafali Verma pulled a delivery towards midwicket. Nyasha Gwanzura took a low catch to send Shafali back, leaving India in trouble early in the innings. Harmanpreet responded positively to the early setbacks. She found boundaries with a cut past point and a drive through the gap between cover and mid-off. At the other end, Rawal initially adopted a cautious approach, especially against deliveries outside off stump, before gradually becoming more attacking. Rawal used her bottom hand to hit Tendai Makusha over long-on for six. She later stepped forward and lofted Phiri over mid-off. These were the only sixes India managed during their innings.

Harmanpreet and Rawal Rebuild the Innings

Rawal reached her ninth ODI half-century from 57 balls, while Harmanpreet also brought up her fifty. Their partnership of 124 runs helped India recover from the early dismissals and rebuild the innings. However, Zimbabwe broke through twice within eight deliveries to regain some control. Rawal was caught by Beloved Biza near the deep midwicket boundary in the 23rd over. She scored 61 from 67 balls before departing. In the following over, Tejal Hasabnis attempted a slog against legspinner Olinder Chare but sent the ball high towards mid-on. Michelle Mavunga ran backwards and completed an excellent catch. India had slipped to 149 for 4, leaving Harmanpreet and Deepti with the task of rebuilding the innings once again.

Deepti and Harmanpreet Dominate Zimbabwe's Bowlers

Deepti immediately increased the scoring rate after joining Harmanpreet. She attacked the spinners with sweeps, pulled short deliveries and cut balls that offered width. Her aggressive approach quickly changed the momentum of the innings. She moved from 16 to 55 in just 23 balls and completed her half-century from 40 deliveries. Harmanpreet, meanwhile, continued to rotate the strike and find gaps with her wrists, while also hitting boundaries through the off side. Zimbabwe had impressed with their fielding earlier in the innings, but their performance began to decline as the partnership grew. Captain Josephine Nkomo dropped Harmanpreet at short midwicket when she was batting on 68, and the fielding side missed further opportunities later. Harmanpreet reached her eighth ODI century in the 41st over, taking 102 balls to reach the milestone. She paddled a delivery from Biza towards fine leg for two runs. Both batters faced physical discomfort during the later stages of their innings and needed attention from the physio. Harmanpreet eventually fell in the 47th over after mistiming a lofted shot. Her 126-run innings included 15 boundaries. Deepti continued to bat until the end. Entering the final over on 97, she reached her century by sweeping Makusha for four and then struck another boundary from the next delivery. She finished unbeaten on 106 from 86 balls, with 15 fours.

Deepti Ends Long Wait for Her Second ODI Century

Deepti's second ODI century came 3,450 days after her first, which she scored in 2017. This was the second-longest gap between centuries in women's ODI cricket. Her unbeaten 106 was also the second-highest individual score by a batter at No. 6 or lower in the format. The centuries from Harmanpreet and Deepti, combined with Rawal's contribution, lifted India to 328 for 6. The total gave the hosts a substantial target to defend and put pressure on Zimbabwe's batting line-up.

Zimbabwe Build a Promising Partnership

Zimbabwe began their chase positively despite facing a target of 329. Modester Mupachikwa attacked the Indian seamers early, cutting Sayali Satghare for two consecutive fours from the first two deliveries she faced. She continued to take advantage of loose deliveries and deliveries outside her reach. India secured their first breakthrough when N Shree Charani dismissed Phiri for six in the ninth over. However, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano responded with an attacking approach against the spinners. She struck two boundaries in Deepti's first over and followed them with three more against Charani in the 13th over. Mupachikwa and Mugeri-Tiripano added 69 runs for the second wicket, taking Zimbabwe to 107 for 1 in the 22nd over. Both batters were approaching half-centuries and had given their team a promising start. India needed a breakthrough, and Satghare delivered in the 23rd over. Mugeri-Tiripano attempted to drive the ball but missed it, allowing the delivery to hit the stumps. She departed for 46 from 57 balls.

Vaishnavi Sharma Makes an Impact in Her Second ODI

Mupachikwa continued to hold the innings together, but Zimbabwe's required run rate kept increasing. Vaishnavi Sharma, playing in place of the rested Kranti Gaud, provided India with a crucial breakthrough in the 28th over. The left-arm spinner changed her angle and forced Mupachikwa into a sliced cut. Substitute fielder Harleen Deol dived forward at backward point to complete the catch, dismissing the batter for 49 off 70 balls. It was Vaishnavi's first wicket in ODI cricket. The breakthrough marked the beginning of an impressive spell. While fellow left-arm spinner Charani, who had recorded career-best figures in the opening ODI, proved expensive, Vaishnavi maintained better control through changes in pace and flight. She went on to dismiss three more batters. Beloved Biza was given out lbw for 34 in the 38th over after India successfully reviewed the decision. Vaishnavi then bowled Mavunga in the 40th over before trapping captain Josephine Nkomo lbw for 22 in the 42nd. Her figures of 4 for 39 in only her second ODI played a major role in breaking Zimbabwe's resistance and bringing India closer to victory.

Deepti Completes a Match-Winning All-Round Performance

Deepti added to her century with a decisive spell at the end of Zimbabwe's innings. In the 46th over, she dismissed Gwanzura lbw and then removed Sibanda on the next delivery, with Tejal Hasabnis taking the catch at slip. The two wickets in successive deliveries further weakened Zimbabwe's hopes of reaching the target. Deepti finished with three wickets to go with her unbeaten century, delivering a valuable all-round performance.