NEW DELHI: Indian vice-captain
Harmanpreet Kaur's blistering unbeaten 171 against Australia in the semifinal of the Women's World Cup on Thursday has evoked memories of yet another Indian's feat in the World Cup 34 summers ago which proved to be the turning point of Indian cricket.
Indian skipper
Kapil Dev's equally swashbuckling unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe after the side was staring down the barrel at 17 for five is undoubtedly one of the most defining moments in the history of Indian men's cricket.
If Kapil's effort came 17 years before the Millennium, then Harmanpreet's comes 17 years after the Millennium. The Haryana Express was ecstatic about Harmanpreet's knock which took India to the final against England. "The feeling is as if India has already won the World Cup. The final match is yet to be played against England on Sunday and I wish them all the luck,"
Kapil
told ToI on Friday.
But Kapil was not willing to go into the comparison business. "It's an unfair comparison. You can't compare those two knocks. Right now, you shouldn't bring what happened in the past. Right now, we should celebrate
Harman
's innings," he said.
Kapil, who played a stellar role in India winning the 1983 Prudential World Cup, misses watching Harmanpreet's effort live. "I couldn't see Harman's knock live, but I am certainly going to catch up with the recorded version of it. It's a great honour for our country to see such a knock happening from Harman," he said with simmering emotion.
Kapil Dev said that Harman's knock gives a special feeling because women's cricket doesn't get the kind of encouragement which men's cricket gets. "Harman's knock is special because women's cricket doesn't get that kind of encouragement and when you see such a brilliant innings, it is a special day for Indian cricket," he added.