Durham [UK], July 23: Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has revealed the deliberate strategy she employed to regain her batting prowess, a crucial development ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup set to be held in India starting September 30. Her resurgence was evident in the decisive third and final ODI against England at Chester-le-Street.
With the series tied at 1-1, all eyes were on the final match. After a cautious start, playing 11 deliveries without scoring, Harmanpreet elegantly drove a left-arm spinner Linsey Smith delivery to the boundary, signaling her return to form.
A Century That Broke the Drought and Set Records
Harmanpreet’s magnificent century in the match was her seventh in ODIs but notably her first in the format across 13 innings. Prior to this, her highest score in the white-ball series against England, across both T20Is and ODIs, was a modest 26, achieved in the fourth T20I. Her only other significant knock on the tour was a blistering 54 in a 50-over warm-up match against an ECB Development XI.
Reflecting on her approach, Harmanpreet told ESPNcricinfo, “In all the matches, I wanted to give my best in batting, but today’s game was very important to us. The plan was to spend some time on the wicket and then see how things go. That really worked for me. The first [ten] balls, I didn’t get any runs, but then I was just talking to myself: I’m not going to lose myself, just be there, be there for the team.” This patient yet determined mindset clearly paid off.
She reached her century in a mere 84 deliveries, setting a new record for the second-fastest century in the format for India, surpassing her own 87-ball effort against South Africa last year. Only the stylish opener Smriti Mandhana’s 70-ball hundred against Ireland earlier this year stands ahead of Harmanpreet’s recent feat. The Indian skipper also achieved another significant milestone, becoming only the third Indian woman to cross the 4000-run mark in women’s ODIs.
Kranti Goud Shines with Six-Wicket Haul
While Harmanpreet dominated with the bat, the spotlight also fell on the 21-year-old seamer Kranti Goud, who delivered a sizzling six-wicket haul in only her fifth ODI appearance. Her impressive figures of 6/52 played a crucial role as England were bowled out for 305 with one ball to spare, falling 13 runs short of India’s formidable 319-run target. Goud’s performance also made her the second-youngest Indian bowler to scalp a five-wicket haul in women’s ODIs, after Deepti Sharma.
Harmanpreet lauded Goud’s contribution, stating, “She’s been really impressing whenever she was on the field and bowling for the team. I’m really happy with the kind of bowling she did today, and whenever we needed a breakthrough, she was there for the team.”
India’s Strong Form Ahead of World Cup
India’s total of 318/5 in the match was their second-highest score by a visiting team in England, surpassed only by their 333/5 in Canterbury in 2022. This marks India’s fifth score of 300 or more in ODIs in 2025, highlighting their growing batting strength.
Although India faces a much sterner assignment—a three-match ODI series immediately before the World Cup—Harmanpreet is keen to carry the positives from the England tour, which also included a 3-2 T20I series win.
“I’m really happy. All the girls, they’re coming up with a positive mindset and working really hard on their fitness. We have understood a lot of things in the past few years, and right now we’re just trying to pass that benchmark and set ourselves into that position where people can talk about women’s cricket. People can take a women’s cricket really seriously back home because we all know how much people love cricket back home, and they also want us to do well,” she concluded, expressing optimism for the future of women’s cricket in India.