Harmanpreet's 126 and Deepti's Unbeaten 106 Rescue India From 19 for 2 and Seal Zimbabwe ODI Series

India Women wrapped up their ODI series against Zimbabwe with a game to spare on Sunday, winning the second match at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, by 121 runs. Unlike the one-sided opener on Friday (see our earlier coverage), this one began with a scare: India were 19 for 2 inside three overs before centuries from Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma pushed the total to 328 for 6.

Zimbabwe never got close in the chase and were bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs. India now lead the three-match series 2-0.

An early wobble

India chose to bat after winning the toss, and the decision looked shaky almost at once. Captain Smriti Mandhana fell for a duck off the second ball of the innings, and Shafali Verma, who had blasted an unbeaten 64 in the first game, went for 8.

Pratika Rawal, fresh from her century on Friday, steadied things alongside Harmanpreet. The pair added 124 for the third wicket, with Rawal making 61 off 67 balls before falling in the 23rd over. When Tejal Hasabnis went cheaply soon after, India were just under 150 for four and the innings needed rebuilding again.

The partnership that changed the match

What followed was the stand of the series. Harmanpreet and Deepti put on more than 150 for the fifth wicket in about 23 overs, which the BCCI said is India's highest partnership for the fifth wicket or lower in women's ODIs.

Harmanpreet made 126 off 121 balls with 15 fours. She was dropped three times, and Zimbabwe paid for each one. It was her eighth ODI hundred, taking her past Mithali Raj's seven. Only Mandhana, with 14, has more for India.

Deepti was the more aggressive of the two, finishing unbeaten on 106 off 86 balls, also with 15 fours. It was her second ODI century and her first in India. Reports said she is the first Indian woman to score an ODI hundred batting at number six or lower.

At the innings break, Harmanpreet said the pitch had held up early and was not easy to bat on, especially after a long stint in the field under the sun. The plan, she said, was simply to keep batting and stay in shape.

Vaishnavi does the damage with the ball

A target of 329 was always going to be too much for Zimbabwe. Mupachikwa made 49 and Mugeri-Tiripano 46, but wickets kept falling around them. Spinner Vaishnavi Sharma did most of the damage, taking 4 for 39.

What it tells us

On paper this was another mismatch, but the scorecard hides a useful test. In the first ODI and the T20Is, India's top order did almost all the work. Here, with the openers gone cheaply, the middle order had to build an innings from a bad start. They did it without panicking, and that is a more useful sign for the team than another easy chase.

Two things to watch in the final game:

• Mandhana's form: A second-ball duck is a blip, but she will want runs before the series ends.
• Fielding: Three dropped catches off one batter would cost Zimbabwe dearly against any side. India's own catching will matter more against stronger opponents.

For Deepti, the century strengthens her case as more than a lower-order finisher. For Harmanpreet, passing Mithali's tally is a milestone that puts her second on India's all-time list of ODI century-makers.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.