Captain Harmanpreet Kaur became the third Indian cricketer to complete 4000 runs in women’s ODIs. She reached the landmark in the third ODI against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. With that, the 36-year-old became the 17th cricketer overall and third Indian behind Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana to complete 4000 runs in ODI cricket.
Nevertheless, she also became a part of the unwanted list by becoming the second slowest cricketer in terms of innings taken. Harmanpreet completed 4000 ODI runs in 129 innings, while only Heather Knight took longer, that is 140 innings.
Harmanpreet completes century in final ODI
The captain led from the front in the final ODI against England. Harmanpreet completed her seventh century in the format and built a crucial partnership of 110 runs with Jemimah Rodrigues. In a do-or-die game, the visitors had a decent start but needed a strong partnership in the middle to post a defendable total on the board. That is something Harmanpreet and Jemimah delivered in the middle.
Harmanpreet completed her century in 82 balls, shortly after Jemimah departed for 50 runs. Meanwhile, she now equalled Mithali Raj’s record for most centuries in ODI cricket. Smriti Mandhana tops the list with 11 tons to her name, while Mithali and Harmanpreet have seven each.
Meanwhile, India posted 318 runs in the first innings. Richa Ghosh, towards the end, played a sensational cameo, scoring 38 runs off just 18 balls. Interestingly, no team in women’s ODI history has chased such a massive total. England, led by Nat Sciver-Brunt, can script history in case they successfully chase the total.
This was also the highest-ever total in women’s ODI cricket at Chester-le-Street. Meanwhile, the visitors will now hope to bowl well in the middle and get the job done to seal the series 2-1.