Deepti Sharma's record hundred and Harmanpreet Kaur's 126 seal the series against Zimbabwe

Deepti Sharma became the first India woman to score a one-day international hundred from No. 6 or lower as India beat Zimbabwe by 121 runs in Vadodara to take the series

India won the second one-day international at Kotambi Stadium on Sunday by 121 runs, going 2-0 up in the three-match series with a game still to play.

Deepti Sharma finished 106 not out from 86 balls and Harmanpreet Kaur made 126 from 121 as India recovered from 19 for 2 to post 328 for 6. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs.

It was Deepti’s first hundred in the format since May 2017, and the first by an India woman batting as low as No. 6.

A record stand after 19 for 2

Smriti Mandhana fell for a duck inside the first over and Shafali Verma went for 8, leaving India 19 for 2 inside three overs.

Pratika Rawal steadied the innings with 61 from 67 balls, four fours and two sixes, and added 124 for the third wicket with Harmanpreet before she was caught at deep midwicket off Nyasha Gwanzura.

Tejal Hasabnis made 3, and India were 148 for 4 when Deepti walked in.

She and Harmanpreet then put on 153 for the fifth wicket, India’s highest partnership in women’s one-day internationals for the fifth wicket or lower. The previous mark was the 122 Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar made against Pakistan at the 2022 World Cup.

First hundred from No. 6

No India woman had scored a one-day hundred from No. 6 or lower before Sunday. The best anyone had managed from that far down was Richa Ghosh’s 94 against South Africa at Visakhapatnam last year.

Deepti reached three figures in 83 balls, the fifth-quickest one-day hundred by an India woman, behind three by Mandhana and one by Harmanpreet.

She hit 15 fours and struck at 123.26, and was unbeaten when the fifty overs ran out.

Nine years between hundreds

Deepti’s only previous one-day century was 188 against Ireland in May 2017, a wait of nine years and five months.

"I tried a lot, but it took a lot of time to reach," she said afterwards.

It was also her first one-day hundred in India. "And I am grateful that I was able to achieve that on the ground of Baroda," she said.

She was careful not to write off the opposition, adding of Zimbabwe: "They have good batters in their team as well."

Harmanpreet moves past Mithali Raj

Harmanpreet’s 126 from 121 balls, with 15 fours, was her eighth one-day hundred, one more than Mithali Raj managed. Only Mandhana, with 14, has more for India.

She was dropped three times on the way, and was caught at long-off off Michelle Mavunga in the 46th over.

The surface gave her little. "It wasn’t a true wicket," she said at the innings break.

Vaishnavi Sharma’s maiden four-wicket haul

Chasing 329, Zimbabwe lost Vaishnavi Sharma four wickets for 39 from her ten overs — the first four-wicket return of her international career, in only her second one-day international.

Modester Mupachikwa top-scored with 49 and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano made 46, with Beloved Biza contributing 34 and Josephine Nkomo 20. Deepti added 3-32 to her hundred.

Nomvelo Sibanda was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers with 2-38.

The three matches carry ICC Women’s Championship points, and India have now taken four of the six on offer. The last one-day international is at the same ground on Wednesday.

Scorecard: India Women 328 for 6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 126, Deepti Sharma 106*, Pratika Rawal 61; Nomvelo Sibanda 2-38) beat Zimbabwe Women 207 (Modester Mupachikwa 49, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 46; Vaishnavi Sharma 4-39, Deepti Sharma 3-32) by 121 runs.

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