AUS v IND: Can Harmanpreet Kaur inspire India to turn the tide again?

In 2017, Harmanpreet Kaur achieved a monumental feat when she scored an incredible 171 not out to beat Australia, the defending champions, in the 2017 Cricket World Cup semi-final.

Harmanpreet’s ability to perform fiercely under pressure, especially against Australia, has been one of the key factors in changing the perception of the Indian team at the global stage.

The right-handed batter’s performance against the Aussies has created a narrative that she becomes the massive roadblock in Australia’s path to victory — be it the 2016’s magical win against Australia where Harmanpreet scored a 31-ball 46 in India's highest ever chase in T20Is at the time, or the above mentioned seminal knock from 2017 Cricket World Cup. Much has already been written about how this particular match changed the women's cricket landscape forever. 

It’s not just that potential threat — it’s the grit, confidence, and audacity to take on the world’s best and emerge as the game-changer. Harmanpreet spikes India’s chances repeatedly and proves that no opponent is insurmountable, least of all Australia.

Despite India’s failure in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Harmanpreet’s performance was one of the few standouts for them. The Indian captain tried to keep them in the tournament despite not being at her best with a 54 off 47. She also played two far superior knocks in the T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final and the Commonwealth Games final only to end on the losing side. 

The early part of 2023-24 was challenging for the India skipper as she faced immense pressure owing to a string of poor performances in the ODI and T20I series against Australia in India. In a humbling 3-0 ODI series defeat, India struggled to find momentum, and Harmanpreet’s form — where she got out in single digits in all three ODIs - reflected the team's broader issues.

India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, expressed confidence in Harmanpreet's ability to rediscover her form, emphasizing her value to the team. “It happens to every cricketer. She has been a great player for India. I am sure you will see some bright performances (from her) in the near future,” Muzumdar said back then.

In the opening match, the typically dependable captain was dismissed for just nine runs, setting a difficult tone for the series. The woes continued in the next two ODIs as well, as she was dismissed cheaply again for five and three, leaving her with an underwhelming series tally and raising questions about her ability to anchor the team during high-pressure moments.

Alyssa Healy, reflecting on Harmanpreet’s dismissals, remarked, “She got out playing the sweep shot quite a lot, which she traditionally plays quite well. It might be down to some form.” 

Captain Kaur’s struggles persisted into the T20I series, where underwhelming performances added to the pressure for the 35-year-old.

Despite the pressure, Harmanpreet focused on finding her rhythm, which began to show in the Women’s Premier League 2024 (WPL). Against the Gujarat Giants, she played a critical innings, scoring an unbeaten 95 off 48 balls in a successful chase. And a good ODI series against South Africa followed. 

However, despite her efforts, India’s loss in the Women’s T20 World Cup led to more criticism, with Harmanpreet once again shouldering the blame for the team’s failure. There were calls for her head, but India chose to trust her with a home Cricket World Cup on the horizon with less than an year to go for the 2025 edition.

Harmanpreet scored an unbeaten fifty as India wrapped up the ODI series at home against the T20 World Cup 2024 champions New Zealand to extend their unbeaten run in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 (IWC). She is having her best phase as an ODI batter having scored 1080 runs at a batting average of 49.09 and a strike rate of 87.37 since January 2022. 

In the current IWC, Harmanpreet has scored 649 runs at an impressive batting average of 72.11 and a strike rate of 89.64 with two centuries and four fifties from 13 innings.

At the same time, she will also be mindful of the fact that her only failure came in the Australia series (That series was outside the Women's Championship). 

As the ODI series against Australia approaches, all eyes will be on Team India and Harmanpreet. After taking over full-time captaincy, the only time India were challenged in ODIs under her was by the World Champions of the format. Can they bounce back from that 3-0 loss and show that they are worthy of challenging the Aussies once again in the fifty over game?

With her at the helm, the stakes are higher than ever, and her leadership as well as her batting prowess will be critical for India to once again change the perception. And Harmanpreet will be up for it.