‘Wasn’t part of plan but...': Harmanpreet's blunt response to Deepti controversy
Deepti Sharma's run out of Charlie Dean sparked a massive debate on social media, with current and former players sharing divided opinions over the episode. Dean had staged a dramatic recovery with a fighting 47 and shared a 35-run stand with No. 11 Freya Davies to put England within reach of the target. The England batter was backing up when Sharma stopped in the middle of her bowling action to run out the batter, as India claimed the three-match series 3-0 and give a fitting farewell to legendary pacer Jhulan Goswami.
While some backed the dismissal, others including Englishmen Stuart Broad and James Anderson expressed their annoyance with 'spirit of the game' coming into the picture. Indian cricketers and fans were extremely quick in defending Deepti as social media instantly generated a lot of polarising reactions, with the cricketing fraternity divided over its legitimacy. The mode of dismissal is currently listed in the ‘Unfair Play’ section of the laws but is set to be moved to the ‘Run Out’ section from October 1 when an update in the ICC Playing Conditions comes into effect.
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India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Friday said that Dean's controversial run-out was not part of India's plans but very much within the rules of the game. Upon her arrival, Deepti said that she had warned Dean multiple times before the incident. But England captain Heather Knight accused the Indian of lying.
"We were noting these things from last couple of games. She was taking long strikes and undue advantage, it was Deepti's awareness (that she took the bails off)," Harmanpreet said ahead of the Women's Asia Cup
"It was not part of the plan but everyone was there to win the game. Whenever you are on the ground, you want to win at any cost. The most important thing is to play within the rules. Whatever we did was very much in the rules. Whatever happened, it was not part of the plan but it has happened, we need to move on," added Harmanpreet.
Earlier, Harmanpreet was questioned about the non-striker's end runout at the post-match presentation of Lord's ODI. The host asked about the incident to Harmanpreet, insisting that it seemed the Indian skipper had avoided talking about the dismissal. The Indian, however, had a savage response up her sleeve.
“To be honest, I thought you will ask about all ten wickets, because they were not easy to take,” said Harmanpreet, drawing massive cheers from the crowd.
“It's a part of the game. I don't think we have done something new, you can always take those chances. It shows that you are aware about what the batters are doing. I will back my player because I don't think she has done anything that isn't in the ICC rules. Everything is part of the game. At the end of the day, a win is a win and you need to enjoy that,” Harmanpreet further added.
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