Harder Conditions Did Not Stop Harmanpreet and Deepti in Vadodara

Harmanpreet Kaur said difficult conditions made Sunday's innings in Vadodara a true test, but a determined effort from her and Deepti Sharma carried India to 328 for six against Zimbabwe.

Harmanpreet scored a century after around 15 months without an international hundred. Her innings came alongside a 124-run partnership with Pratika Rawal, who made 61 for the third wicket. Later, Deepti Sharma, unbeaten on 106, joined her in a 153-run fifth-wicket stand that came off 137 balls.

Harmanpreet said the match was played in unfamiliar circumstances, with the team used to night cricket and now facing sunshine. "The situation was not easy. Mostly we play night matches these days, so batting in the sunshine after a long gap was tough," she said.

She described the period after the early wickets as a turning point. According to her, the partnership with Pratika steadied the innings, and Deepti then took control with a series of boundaries.

Harmanpreet said she was happy to take the pressure off Deepti by keeping the strike moving. She was quick to praise Deepti's approach and said it was pleasing to see her take responsibility from the other end.

The former captain was dropped or reprieved three times during her knock. She explained that the pitch was not behaving consistently at the start, so her focus was on staying at the crease and keeping her batting posture in order.

"This was not an easy pitch. The ball was coming through a little slowly at the beginning. Our plan was simply to keep batting and maintain our posture. That is why we got a good result today. I just want to enjoy my game on the field. The most important thing is to keep batting and enjoy the cricket. I am happy that I am able to hit the ball well," Harmanpreet said.