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India's T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who is going through the nadir of her career, once again failed to deliver with the willow in the third ODI against New Zealand which they lost by three wickets on Friday (February 18).
It's not new for the unfortunate middle-order batter to get dismissed cheaply nowadays, but the way she got out in the third ODI doubled up her misery. Harmanpreet was caught napping after playing a shot and had to pay the price with her wicket.
The bizzare incident took place in the 28th over with India in a strong position at 166/3. Harmanpreet, who was batting on 13, came down the track to a delivery from Frances Mackay and played a firm push that went straight back to the bowler's hand. Subsequently she just stood there, instead of getting back into the crease.
Frances, meanwhile, threw the ball back immediately to the wicketkeeper who whipped the bails off in a flash. Harmanpreet belatedly put in a dive but it was already too late as replays showed that she had failed to get back in, in time. The misfiring Harmanpreet have only scored 33 runs in the three ODIs so far as she was dismissed at the score of 10 in both the previous two matches.
India had lost the first two ODIs by 62 runs and three wickets, respectively, after suffering a 18-run defeat in the lone T20I.
After New Zealand won the toss, they invited India to bat first. Young openers Meghana (61) and Verma (51) gave India a flying start with a stand of 100 in 13 overs, but the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals later to be all out for 279 in 49.3 overs.
In reply, New Zealand did not have a good start as they suffered two early blows. But then, Amy and Amelia Karr built a 103 runs partnership in the middle and helped their team to win the game.
Earlier, former India captain Diana Edulji said that Harmanpreet “can’t survive in the team” on the 171 she scored in the 2017 World Cup and it is time to drop her starting with the third ODI against New Zealand.
Harmanpreet has made only two 50 plus scores since the 2017 World Cup in England where India reached the final. The 32-year-old had fitness issues last year but after an impressive WBBL, she was expected to replicate that performance at the highest level.
She is yet to fire in the bilateral rubber against New Zealand with India staring at another series defeat.
“If you are going with the same yardstick which was used to drop Jemimah Rodrigues, what the coach (Ramesh Powar) had mentioned, the same yardstick should be applied to Harmanpreet,” Edulji said.
“I am very disappointed with her. She was my favourite player but you can’t survive on that one innings (171 against Australia in 2017). She is only one innings away from a big knock but the effort has to be there. I will be the happiest if she proves me wrong. I just want the team to win the World Cup," she further added.
