Saba Karim: Setting Field for Harmanpreet Kaur is "Not Easy"

Reflecting on Harmanpreet's innings, Karim described the Mumbai Indians captain as one of the most adaptable and difficult batters to contain in modern women's cricket.

"It's always a pleasure to watch Harmanpreet bat like this. The secret to her success, longevity and consistency is her ability to adapt very quickly. That comes from her awareness of the match situation and her early assessment of conditions," he told Jiostar.

"She plays the field extremely well. It's not easy to set a field for Harmanpreet. She exploits the offside with ease and is equally strong on the leg side. Her ability to coil and uncoil at the right moment, combined with her back lift and downswing, makes it very difficult for bowlers to contain her," he added.

Karim acknowledged that although the innings had imperfections, the 36-year-old captain's clarity and understanding of the game once again distinguished him.

"She finds gaps against both pace and spin and reads the game exceptionally well. Her WPL record speaks for itself. More than 1,000 runs batting at number four, along with several fifties, shows the immense value she brings every time she walks out to bat," Karim said.

Former New Zealand cricketer Katey Martin also shared similar views, emphasising the Indian batter's skill in managing the pace of a chase and leveraging her strengths at key moments.

"I think Harmanpreet never wants to leave this ground. She turned up here on the first day with a massive smile on her face. Before that, she had taken the World Cup home as well, and she continues," said Martin.

"She commits to her strengths, but the way she paces her innings is so crucial. She started off slowly, eight off eight, looked for her match up, which was Ashleigh Gardner, and then went after her. When you see shots like her drives over extra cover and mid-wicket, you wonder how someone can hit all around the ground with such power and precision. You want your best player to stand up in chases, and Harmanpreet did exactly that," she added.

Martin also commended Amanjot Kaur's role and her partnership with Harmanpreet, which was crucial in turning the momentum back in the Mumbai Indians' favour.

"Amanjot is a real competitor and always wants to be in the fight. Batting at number three was a different role for her, but she understood the situation perfectly. Around the ninth over, when they went for back-to-back big overs, that was the momentum shift. In T20 cricket, momentum is everything. That partnership took pressure off Harmanpreet and allowed her to finish the job calmly," she observed.

Harmanpreet's unbeaten 71-run knock and Amanjot's crucial contribution in the middle led the Mumbai Indians to their second consecutive win in the ongoing WPL edition.

- IANS