ENG W vs IND W: Harmanpreet Settles The ODI Series With A Ton By 2-1

ENG W vs IND W: India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur performed a match-winning century to take her side to a series-concluding triumph against England Women in the last ODI at Chester-le-Street, restoring the confidence of India before the Women’s ODI World Cup next year.

Harmanpreet’s Century Sets the Tone

Under great pressure and a sluggish start, Harmanpreet Kaur contributed a captain’s innings of 102 off 82 balls, her seventh ODI hundred. Importantly, it was her first over 50 in 13 innings and the second-quickest Indian woman’s ODI ton after Smriti Mandhana’s 70-ball century against Ireland earlier this year.

“Plan was to spend time on the wicket and take it deep. The first 10 balls were difficult, but I kept telling myself to remain focused and be there for the team,” Harmanpreet said.

Milestone: 4000+ ODI Runs for With this innings, Harmanpreet became the third Indian woman to cross the 4000 run milestone in ODIs. She joins the elite class and solidifies herself as one of India’s greatest batters.

India’s All-Round Batting Supremacy

India scored 318/5, their second-best ODI total in England, reflecting a total team show with the bat. Jemimah Rodrigues contributed a 50, with Harmanpreet, with whom she added 110 runs. Both Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol added 45 runs.

Richa Ghosh added late fireworks with an explosive 38 runs off only 18 balls. This was India’s fifth 300+ total in ODI matches in the year 2025, which demonstrates their level of consistency and firepower.

Kranti Goud’s Record Six-Wicket Performance Glows in ENG W vs IND W

21-year-old bowler Kranti Goud was the bowling savior, taking 6 for 52 in just her fifth ODI game. Her stint saw India dismiss England for 305, securing a nail-biting 13-run victory.

“Whenever we needed a breakthrough, Kranti gave it to us. I am really proud of her performance,” eulogized Harmanpreet.

Goud was the second-youngest Indian woman to achieve a five-wicket haul in ODIs, second only to Deepti Sharma.

England’s Strong Comeback and India’s Wake-Up Call

Despite its dominance, England proved resilient by bridging a 162-run partnership involving Nat Sciver-Brunt and Emma Lamb, up from 8/2 to 170/2. The narrow margin highlighted areas that India needs to fine-tune, particularly against tougher sides like Australia.

Boosting Morale Before the ODI World Cup

India’s show in the ENG W vs IND W series triumphed in a 3-2 T20I series, paving the way for the ODI World Cup. Three-match ODI series against Australia Women would be India’s last dress rehearsal.

“This series provides us with momentum, but the World Cup will require new focus. We need to start afresh and take the best with ball one,” Harmanpreet stressed.

Women’s Cricket in India Reaching New Heights

Harmanpreet was beaming with pride when she talked about the team’s development and how such performances were altering attitudes towards women’s cricket in India.

“Our team has been really working hard for so many years and this is the time where we are getting that [reward],” she said.

“I’m really happy. All the girls, they’re coming up with a positive mindset and working really hard on their fitness. We have understood a lot of things in the past few years and right now we’re just trying to pass that benchmark and set ourselves into that position where people can talk about women’s cricket. People can take a women’s cricket really seriously back home because we all know how much people love cricket back home, and they also want us to do well.”

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