India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had a slightly awkward moment while batting in the second ODI against Australia in Hobart. The 36-year-old made a 70-ball 54 and was almost completely flummoxed fifth ball of the 39th over by Megan Schutt, resulting in her attempted scoop shot gently tapping her helmet and falling dead beneath her. The delivery from Schutt was a slower-ball cutter outside off. The lack of pace seemed to disrupt the timing of Harmanpreet’s shot, resulting in miss-hit. The ball barely carried, which ensured there was never any real danger. Harmanpreet quickly adjusted her helmet and reset, showing no signs of concerns as play continued. It was one of those rare, self-inflicted moments that occasionally surface even at the highest level of international cricket. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who appeared to be the part of the commentary panel, reacted with visible amusement as replay showed the unusual trajectory. Whoops! Harmanpreet Kaur whacked one into her own helmet đŸ˜… #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/bzPeAcii2O — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 27, 2026 The moment stood in contrast to the disciplined tone of the game. With Australia already ahead in the series, India were aware of the need to respond strongly, and every partnership carried added significance. The contest largely revolved around patience, rotation of strike and measured aggression rather than high-risk stroke play. India batted first posted 251/9 in their first innings, with Harmanpreet leading the scoring with a composed 54 off 70 balls. Her knock anchored the innings through the middle overs and helped India recover from minor setbacks. However, Australia ended up making light work of the chase. The hosts rode on fifties from skipper Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney before Annabel Sutherland’s brisk 48 helped the hosts seal the game in just 38.2 overs. Sree Charani was the lone silver lining as far as India’s bowling was concerned. She picked two wickets while her economy stayed below five, whereas the rest of the attack were toothless against Healy’s side.
Watch: Harmanpreet Kaur gets into a tangle with botched up scoop attempt
