It was almost a flawless day for Harleen Deol, right up until the moment she decided to charge down the pitch against Megan Schutt. Playing in front of her home crowd at the new PCA Stadium, Harleen had showcased exceptional batting, starting cautiously before accelerating with well-timed strokes, ultimately achieving her fourth ODI half-century. She looked set for an even bigger score.
However, her promising innings was cut short by a sharp piece of wicketkeeping from Australian skipper Alyssa Healy, who brilliantly stumped her off the experienced seamer, Schutt. India’s innings concluded with a total that, despite seeming decent (281 for seven), proved insufficient as the formidable Australian side comfortably chased it down with plenty of wickets and balls to spare.
Reflecting on the match, Harleen expressed her belief that the outcome could have been different. “We dropped a few catches here and there, and things would have been different if we had taken those opportunities,” she stated. While acknowledging the potential challenges of catching under lights, she emphasized the team’s need to elevate their fielding standards. Despite the setback, she remained optimistic, adding, “Nevertheless, there are two more matches, so we are going to focus on that.”
Deol also commented on the pitch conditions, describing it as a good surface for batting. However, she noted, “when the ball got a little older, it was like holding up a little bit.” Regarding her personal performance, she explained her strategy: “As for my innings, I just wanted to take a little bit more time to understand the wicket and to understand which bowler was bowling what, so that I could change my plans according to my strength.”
The series continues with the second One Day International scheduled for Wednesday.