Pressure has a way of sometimes revealing the true character in a team. Playing at a home World Cup, India know all about it. After three consecutive losses, they are in the semi-final and face a familiar pressure, with stakes higher than ever.
And at the centre of it all stands Harmanpreet Kaur, who, as captain, is three wins away from lifting the coveted cup. But her bat is yet to roar in this tournament, with only one 50-plus score and a lack of fluency in her batting, putting the pressure on others.
Can the Harmonster rise again?
Over long careers, certain innings come to define players – performances that stand above all of them. In Virat Kohli’s case, it is his 133 against Sri Lanka at Hobart in 2012. In Sachin Tendulkar’s case, it is his twin hundreds against Australia at Sharjah in 1998.
In Kaur’s case, it will always be her 171 not out against Australia at Derby in the 2017 World Cup semi-final. It was an innings that brought out her fearless, instinctive, and unstoppable best and altered the way women’s cricket was seen in India.
With the semi-final in less than a week’s time, India needs Harmanpeet Kaur’s unshackled version again. (PHOTO: AP)
“These are special knocks that didn’t happen every day in India. It just put a whole different perception on women’s cricket. I think that is why it is so huge. It came at the right time for the fact that we could obviously reach the finals with that. The whole plan that we wanted to achieve was to get into the knockouts first, for us to have that recognition back home. With that knock, I think everything just kind of aligned well for us,” Veda Krishnamuthy had told The Indian Express about that knock earlier.
With the semi-final in less than a week’s time, India needs that unshackled version again — someone who bats with freedom, trusts her instincts, and forces opposition to change plans mid-innings.
Other captains shine
A key factor that has helped other teams progress into the semi-finals with greater ease has been how the captains have fared. Australia’s Alyssa Healy has been the standout batter among all of them, with 294 runs in four matches at an average of 98.
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Unarguably, her most significant contribution came against India at Visakhapatnam, where she backed her decision to bowl first with a fabulous, match-winning 142 off 107 balls in the second innings.
South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt is the second-highest run-getter among captains in this World Cup. 270 runs in six matches at an average of 54 have ensured that the other batters have not faced up to the pressure early. The right-hander made crucial, match-winning contributions against teams like India and Sri Lanka, thereby helping her side reach the semi-final.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s batting has been more profitable than her bowling for England, with 198 runs in six matches. 117 of them came in a vital match against Sri Lanka, where their spinners had her side in trouble, and she guided them to a match-winning score of 253 with a fine hundred.
In comparison, Kaur has had a subdued time with the bat. In six matches, she has made 151 runs at an average of 25.16. In her only notable performance against England, where she made a run-a-ball 70, it felt like nature had taken a huge broom and wiped the cobwebs from her mind. India will want that version of Kaur to turn up and make an even bigger contribution against Bangladesh and in the semi-final.
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Reducing pressure on lower-order
Kaur’s low returns have put added pressure on the lower-order batters to bail India out of trouble. Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur proved saviours against Sri Lanka at Guwahati, while Richa Ghosh produced an outstanding counter-punch against South Africa at Visakhapatnam.
While the talent in India’s lower-order batters is unquestionable, when a captain stands up and delivers, it only further lifts them to better their current performances.
In more recent times, the one Kaur performance that stands out is her 102 off 84 balls against England in the series decider at Durham in July, which helped India reach a match-winning score of 318 and win the series 2-1. While she carries the reputation of delivering when the heat is on, it needs to come to the fore again in the upcoming games.
Last chance to claim crown
At 36, Kaur is the joint-oldest captain at this World Cup with Sophie Devine. The New Zealander, who will play her last ODI against England at Visakhapatnam on Sunday, will end her international career without an ODI World Cup-winning medal. Kaur will be closer to 40 when the next women’s World Cup comes around, and while you’d say never say never, it does look improbable that she would make it for that event.
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She has been part of many heartbreaks over the years, none more painful than losing the final in 2017. 2025 presents her with a chance to create a headline for herself in the business end of a home World Cup, just like how her male counterpart had done 14 years ago.
