MUMBAI: After cracking a magical 171* (115b, 20x4, 7x6), to script India's 36-run win over six-time champs Australia in the World Cup semis at Derby in UK - a knock which guaranteed Mithali Raj & Co a date in the final on Sunday against England at Lord's -
Harmanpreet Kaur was naturally the toast of social media on Thursday.
READ ALSO: Kohli, Shastri hail Harmanpreet's ton READ ALSO: Harmanpreet destroys, Twitter explodesAmongst the many who were left stunned by the 28-year-old's power-hitting, which saw her gallop from 51 to 100 in 26 balls, and then zoom from 101to 150 in merely 17 balls, was India skipper
Virat Kohli. "What an innings by @ImHarmanpreet and a brilliant effort by the bowlers also so far. #INDvAUS @BCCIWomen #ICCWomensWorld Cup 2017," tweeted Kohli from Sri Lanka, where the men's team is touring currently. So dominating was Harmanpreet that during the137-run stand off just 82 balls with
Deepti Sharma for the fourth wicket, Sharma could score just 25.
It was arguably one of the finest ODI innings ever, and certainly the best-ever by an Indian woman, which powered India to an imposing 281 for four - their highest-ever total against the Southern Stars. This is now the second highest individual score in ODIs for India behind Deepti Sharma's unbeaten 188 not out against Ireland earlier this year.
It was the Indian vice-captain's career-best knock, and left the Australian bowlers in a daze in a match that was curtailed to 42 overs a side due to rain.
India should have defended the target with ease, but they were given a big scare by
Alex Blackwell who slammed 90 (56 balls, 10x4, 3x6) to make it very close. Australia, chasing 282 were bowled out for 245 in 40.1 overs. The last wicket partnership between Blackwell and Kristen Beams was 76 runs. Earlier, the Southern Stars recovered from 21for 3 through a 105-run fourth wicket partnership between Elyse Villani 75 (58b, 13x4) and Ellse Perry 38 (56b, 3x4). Pacers Jhulan Goswami and
Shikha Pandey provided the early breakthroughs.
The story of the match though was Harmanpreet's knock. The T20 skipper, became the first Indian woman to sign up for an overseas T20 league last year when she played for the Sydney Thunder franchise in the 201617 season of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). The girl from Moga district in Punjab, who stunned the world with her power-hitting to leave the mighty Aussies clueless, shares a special relationship with former India skipper and currently a member of the
Committee of Administrators
(CoA)
Diana Eduljee
.
Watching her bat in the Nationals a few years back, Eduljee was so excited by Harmanpreet's explosive talent that she immediately offered her a lucrative job (of Chief Office superintendent) in Western Railway, which meant that she had to move to Mumbai. "This is the way she plays, and that's why I brought her here. I knew that with a big-hitter like her around, Western Railway could never lose a match with her in the team. She's a good all-rounder, who can win you a match with either bat or ball," an elated Eduljee told TOI on Thursday evening.
The 61-year-old, in fact, had been left disappointed by her ward's ordinary run in the World Cup till the last match, when she bounced back with a crucial 60 to help India clinch what virtually was a quarter final against New Zealand. "I've been talking to her regularly. I was upset with her after she wasn't getting any runs. 'When are you going to get a fifty?' I asked her before the match against New Zealand. 'I promise you I'Il get the cup,' she said. 'I don't want the cup, I want a fifty from you, I replied. And she's made me really happy now," said the 61-year-old.
The big knock though may have come at a cost. Harmanpret suffered a bad side strain during her hurricane knock, and has little time to recover from it, considering that the final is scheduled just two days later. India have been there before losing to Australia in 2005 at Centurion.
Eduljee reckons Harmanpreet is a wonderful talent but is also a touch hot-headed.(It was visible when she flung her helmet on the ground in disgust, venting her ire at partner Deepti Sharma after completing her 100).