Cricketers of the Week: 16th July to 23rd July

What a mind-boggling week of cricket that was! Indian women, stood up to their well-funded, much-experienced counterparts and gave an amazing account of themselves. At one point, they were within sniffing distance of the Women’s World Cup but nerves got the better of them. They lost by 9 runs but probably, women’s cricket would never be the same in India. In a similar story, Zimbabwe almost pulled the carpet from underneath the Sri Lankan feet and it took a monumental record-breaking effort from the Lankans to stave off the resurgent Zimbabwe team which won the ODI series and almost won the lone Test as well. Here are our top 5 cricketers of the week.

#1 Harmanpreet Kaur

For many pundits, this is the best World Cup knock ever – men and women’s World Cups included. Harmanpreet single-handedly decimated a powerful Australian bowling line-up with the ruthlessness Ricky Ponting had demonstrated against India in the 2003 men’s World Cup.

For many, this was the closure.

In a rain-curtailed 42-over game at their favourite ground Derby, India were in a spot of bother batting first at 101 for 3 in 25 overs. They needed a lot more than that to stave off the Australian batting attack that keeps coming at you.

What ensued was a 137-run partnership with Deepti Sharma in just 82 balls. Harmanpreet ended the innings on an unbeaten 171* off just 115 balls with 20-fours and 7 sixes – almost Lara-esque brilliance.

That was the 5th highest ODI knock ever and the 3rd highest in World Cup matches, but if it were a 50-over game, Harmanpreet likely would have been able to decimate the world record.

India posted 281 in 42 overs and eventually won by 36 runs.

#2 Jhulan Goswami

India’s veteran pace bowler and the most prolific ODI wicket-taker in women’s cricket, Goswami saved her best for the Final registering sensational figures. Goswami was top class with numbers of 10-3-23-3, joint third best in World Cup Finals. Alas, her numbers were overshadowed by an English-woman but take nothing away from Jhulan’s lion-hearted performance that also included probably the ‘ball of the tournament’ to dismiss the Australian skipper Meg Lanning in the Semi-Final. Two of Goswami’s three scalps were dangerous batters, Sarah Taylor and Nat Sciver, as Goswami helped India restrict England to just 228 for 7 – a total they were primed to chase down until the final meltdown that cost them the prized Trophy.

#3 Anya Shrubsole

The talented Anya Shrubsole snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for her side, England, with a spectacular bowling performance at Lord’s in the Final of the women’s World Cup.

The 25-year old was the reason India fell just short of a modest England target. Shrubsole picked up both the Indian openers, Smriti Mandhana and the well-set Poonam Raut, whose wicket at 191 for 3 triggered a collapse that saw India dismissed for 219.

Shrubsole, who had match figures of 6-46, made England believe with the massive wicket of Veda Krishnamurthy, when at 200 for 5 and Veda and Deepti at the crease, India believed the trophy was theirs to lose.

She then cleaned up the tail with the wicket of Jhulan Goswami - followed by that of Deepti Sharma, who was India’s last hope.

#4 Niroshan Dickwella

In Colombo, Zimbabwe almost pulled off a heist, setting Sri Lanka a daunting target of 388. Sri Lanka were in serious trouble at 178 for 4 and 203 for 5.

Sri Lankan keeper Dickwella, who scored a priceless 81, added 121 vital runs for the sixth wicket with Asela Gunaratne, who then went on to score an unbeaten 80 to take Sri Lanka to a record chase in the final innings of the Test at Colombo.

Sri Lanka had lost the ODI series to Zimbabwe already and a Test defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe at its fortress would have been a catastrophe.

The hosts, who had conceded a 10-run lead after the first innings, let Zimbabwe score a massive 377 in their second innings, after having them on the ropes at 23 for 4 and 59 for 5.

Nevertheless, it was a match for the gods with Gunaratne picking Player of the Match, after he had already contributed 45 in Sri Lanka’s first innings. Rangana Herath too was brilliant, with a five-wicket haul in the first innings and a six-wicket haul in the second.

#5 Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza made Zimbabwe proud with a brilliant knock of 127 (to add to his 36 in the first innings), where he took Zimbabwe from 23 for 4 to 306 for 8 in the second innings of the lone Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Eventually, Zimbabwe were all out for 377, giving themselves an unbelievably good chance to win the away Test, if not for a breath-taking chase by Sri Lanka.

Raza added 86 for the sixth wicket with Moor and then a brilliant 144 with Waller for the seventh wicket that ensured Zimbabwe had plenty in the bank to defend.

The Sri Lankan chase eventually managed a scarcely believable 391 but that doesn’t take away anything from the quality of Raza.

On a turning track, it took a miracle for Zimbabwe to lose the game despite Cremer’s fight with the ball on the Final day. Craig Ervine too was brilliant with a fighting knock of 160 in Zimbabwe’s first innings that took them to 356 all out, setting up the match nicely.