Australia-India The Women’s International Series recently provided a moment of pure, unadulterated comedy that reminded fans why cricket is as much about camaraderie as it is about competition. Indian captain in the heat of the match Harmanpreet Kaur Decided to introduce a high-risk innovation that ended with a resounding ‘clink’ rather than a ‘crack’. As soon as the ball made unexpected contact with their protective gear, the attention shifted from the pitch to the commentary box. Whereas, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc Caught in a moment of genuine hilarity, unable to hide his amusement at the absurdity of the play. It was a rare, light-hearted mix between legends that instantly went viral among audiences.
Mitchell Starc laughs out loud as Harmanpreet Kaur’s scoop attempt fails
This incident came to light during 38.5 overs megan shutt Bowled a ball which was slightly short outside the off-stump. Harmanpreet attempted a cheeky scoop shot to direct the ball over the keeper with the intention of accelerating the run rate, but the timing went completely wrong. Instead of finding the boundary, the ball hit his helmet grill straight away, creating a ‘funny shot’ which required a mandatory check by the team physio.
Watching the replays in the commentary booth, Starc could not hide his laughter as he suggested linking the ‘long’ hits of the batsmen with the ‘badges’ of the bowler. Her fellow commentators joined in the laughter, teasing that ‘badging’ a batsman might be the only way Schutt could claim such dominance, especially since Kaur had ‘given herself a few runs’ with the unsuccessful attempt. Despite the huge impact, Harmanpreet was smiling after the test, showing that she was absolutely fine and even seeing humor in the failed experiment.
Here is the video:
This… normally this shot shouldn’t go like this 😅#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/02VBRKseNP
– 7cricket (@7cricket) 27 February 2026
Also read: For this reason Australian captain Sophie Molineux is not playing today’s AUS-W vs IND-W 2nd ODI.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s brilliant half-century and lower-order bounce take India to 251 in Hobart
In a high-stakes 2nd ODI at Bellerive Oval on February 27, 2026, India’s ‘Women in Blue’ recovered from a mid-innings wobble to post a competitive score of 251/9 against Australia. After electing to bat first on a surface with variable bounce, India got off to a great start Pratika Rawal (52) and Smriti Mandhana (31) Stringing together a strong opening stand of 78 runs.
However, the momentum changed dramatically when Raval was involved in a controversial run-out soon after reaching her half-century, starting a collapse that saw India slip from their strong position to 162/6. Captain Harmanpreet, who was suffering from a long knee injury, started the rescue campaign by playing a strong innings of 54 runs in 70 balls and showed tremendous composure when the wickets fell at the other end. He received significant support, especially from the lower order Kashvi Gautam (25) and Kranti Gaur (19), who added vital runs during the death overs to frustrate the Australian bowling attack.
For the hosts, Annabel Sutherland, Ashley Gardner And alana king They were the pick of the bowlers, each taking two wickets to maintain the pressure. India finally crossed the 250 run mark on the last ball of the innings, courtesy of an overthrow that allowed the debutant Vaishnavi Sharma And Sricharani Scramble for another run. With the pitch expected to help the spinners in the lights, India will be confident of their bowling unit to defend this score and level the three-match series. The match is currently on a delicate balance, with Australia needing a steady start to counter India’s revived energy.
Also read: Will Indian superstars be seen in Bangladesh Women’s Premier League? BCB gave update
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.
