The Indian skipper in the post-match press conference reflected on the 5th T20I, areas to work on and other positives.
India was handed yet another defeat by the mighty Australians in the 5th T20I which meant they lost the series 1-4. Although India ended up on the losing side, Harmanpreet Kaur spoke with a lot of clarity and articulated what the team can do going ahead in this candid press conference.
A brief look at the statistics will reveal an interesting story. In the first 10 overs of the 5th T20I where Australia scored a mammoth 196, India conceded 72 runs and scalped 4 wickets but in the next 10, India gave away 124 runs without taking any wickets. This was mostly because of the unbelievable partnership stitched by Grace Harris and Ashleigh Gardner.
Harmanpreet Kaur opined that “If you see the first 10 overs, humne unhe easy runs nahi diye and after the 10th over, suddenly things were changing and we were thinking about those things like how we can stop and we planned things and we did not execute it but we are working on it” which translates to “if you see the first 10 overs, we did not give them easy runs but it was after the 10th over, things were changing and we were wondering how to stop the (flow of runs) and although we planned things, we did not execute it but we are working on it”. She also spoke about how the team wanted to have a better powerplay, as earlier it was an area that they lacked and in the series that followed they improved and it worked, like in this series with better results. She also added that going ahead they will assess who will be a better fit after the 10th over and give them the right backing and that although it was discussed in the team meetings, during the series it gets difficult to execute all the plans and it is imperative for one to take into account the match situations but now that the series is done and they get a break of one month (before the World Cup in South Africa), they will reassess plans and areas to work on.
When asked about why Meghna Singh was not given enough opportunities and her thoughts on the duo of Anjali Sarvami and Renuka Singh Thakur and what happens to the equation if Pooja Vastrakar comes back as the 3rd seamer, here’s what Harmapreet shared “Aage bhi wickets milne wale hain and seam is going to play a bigger role than spin bowling so that’s why we started this series with Meghna” which translates to “going ahead we will get wickets (in the World Cup at South Africa) where seam bowling is going to play a bigger role than spin bowling and that is why in this series, they started off with Meghna Singh”.
She also spoke about Meghna not being able to deliver as per expectations in this series and that once Pooja rejoins the team after her injury layoff she will immediately fill the area and without her also in this series, the Indian management had called on extra pacers, watched them closely and experimented which worked well and also unearthed the talented Anjali Sarvani. She reiterated that before going to South Africa, the team will work on those areas and fix their bowling department.
Adding on Renuka Singh Thakur and the role she has been executing, Harmanpreet said that “She is someone who brings a lot of confidence to the side and she always delivers when the team needs her”. Adding on, she brought up the point of how death bowling is something Renuka enjoys besides bowling in the powerplay and how she always gets the crucial breakthroughs for the team.
While delving into positives to take away from the series, she said: “As a team, that self-belief was there and we never thought ki Australia side aayegi (and get overwhelmed by the might of their team) and we know their strengths and their brand of cricket, yet we were positive throughout”. She added how India played a positive brand of cricket in the series and that the team showed how to not get flustered when there were situations where many wickets were lost and the way they (the Aussies) are able to rebuild when the top order collapsed was something the Indian team too tried to imbibe, as in the past when India lost wickets, it would shake up and cause unnecessary panic in the team but this time around we saw less of that. Also talking about the positives in the batting, she was delighted that everyone was able to express themselves and score at a good rate. In the first 10 overs, the Indian batting did well and they are looking to improve in the last 10 and will actively work on it in the off-time before the World Cup.
When asked about Shafali Varma and the prospects of captaincy in the U19 World Cup, Harmanpreet said “I’ve seen her in domestic cricket and whenever she is leading, she knows what she is doing”. Her advice to Shafali is to play freely and that as a captain she is encouraging Shafali to take into account other players and their strengths but at the same time, she should enjoy her game. As a skipper, one tends to overthink which complicates matters, and as the players in the team know their role and the skipper just has to tell them and the players will execute it which really eases the process.
2022 has been quite the year for Harmanpreet Kaur having scored a lot of runs across formats while also leading the team and, she too agreed that 2021 was a big learning curve for her and she acknowledges that the inability to convert the good starts and deliver what the team needs from her and that was something that poked her. She said, “This year was something whenever I was getting the chance, I just wanted to stay there for the team and keep getting those runs”. Taking into account her role as a skipper, she said, “I should lead from the front and when I am there, I can bring out the best (of my players) and if they are positive, it helps”. She also credited the role that the support staff have played and how her teammates have been supportive. Additionally, she thanked the selectors for giving her the team she wants and for paying heed to the needs she had for the team.
When asked about the #3 position India had Jemimah Rodrigues for the role in the series but in the final T20I, Harleen was used at that position and on the prospect of her being the backup, Harmanpreet said, “Harleen is someone who is always ready to bat anywhere or field anywhere”
She added how Harleen is a team player from the get-go and is able to accelerate and score runs and although the last match she did not get a batting opportunity, Harmanpreet observed she wasn’t upset as she always puts the team ahead of her which is a positive. The good body language and Harleen’s approach to batting was refreshing to see and the team management would like to evaluate this going forward. Considering the lean patch that Jemimah Rodrigues has had, the skipper said that they (the team management) wished to give her a break and because she is an integral cog in the wheel, they wish to give her time and that the batting lineup should be more flexible.
Talking about other youngsters who played well, the likes of Richa Ghosh, and Devika Vaidya really stood out. She appreciated the journalists for their constant feedback and constructive criticism after games and how their suggestions were valuable as they even took notice and appreciated the players which was a confidence booster. She added how as a team they did not think about the result and how it was good to see everyone stand up and take responsibility. Harmanpreet Kaur also added that “It makes me feel proud, the way we played the series and going forward these things we want to keep doing and work on the areas and improve as a team and show that improvement will be seen in the next tours”.
When asked what makes Australia such a good side Harmanpreet Kaur said, “I think their domestic tournaments like WBBL brings a lot of competition and when you play good cricket in domestic, you know what roles to play and what to bring to the team and it gives them positivity and clarity that one needs as a team”. She asserted that with the Women’s IPL (WIPL) slated to get underway in March, and with the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup also beckoning, there will be talented players from the U19 setup and that would give the Indian team, a larger pool of players to select from and confidently said that “In 6-7 months, you will see this (Indian) team in a different level and I am really positive about that”.
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.
