In the Press Conference after losing 1-4 ODI Series against South Africa, Indian Women’s Team coach WV Raman was seen assessing and analyzing the team’s performance throughout the South Africa series.
When asked about what the team should do differently while batting first, he said that the batting depends upon the conditions and the kind of attack that the team is playing against.
“It is very easy to lose a game in the first 15 overs as you may not win it, but trying to be greedy and posting a huge score, you might lose few early wickets and start looking down the battle too early in the game. One has to take this thing as it unfolds on the field and take stock of the situation after 2/3rd of the game and make a decision on what needs to be done,” he said.
Talking about the team’s performance in the South Africa ODI series, he told the BCCI that he personally talks to them only if required, in case of selection. He said “In this series, the girls lacked the game time and they were short in terms of mental stamina and the cricketing fitness. It is not easy to come back after 15 months and play a one-day series and retain the focus and intensity that is required to put the opposition under pressure. Such things do happen, and it happens with the best of players and the best of teams. I am sure that the girls would have realized what was not really happening and they’ll work on it. I have seen them do it in the past and I have no doubts at all they’ll do it in the future as well.”
🗨️The Head Coach of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team – WV Raman opens up after the 1-4 Series Loss against South Africa.
Here’s what he had to say 👇👇#INDvSA #INDWvSAW pic.twitter.com/ky7x8hh3EI
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 18, 2021
Commenting upon the positives from the ODI series, he feels that despite the fact that not all of them got big scores, the batting unit of the Indian side is getting into the groove.
“Probably what did not go in our favor was the fact that the bowlers could not be consistent, but there isn’t any blaming at all because it was expected. The other fact is that you cannot really think of something that is done well by the other sides and try and imitate them as we need to try and get into the groove to see how the entire unit is in terms of form. And then, we must see what all needs to be done, try and assess at what times do we need to try and step on the pedal”, he said.
He feels that as the players get more game time, they’ll get into the groove. He emphasized how Rajeshwari Gayakwad managed to get into the game with respect to the last ODI and how that was a positive sign for the team.
“We’ll plan quite a lot of activities for the girls, going forward, so that they get working on achieving this aspect. It won’t be too long before all of them get into the rhythm and perform as well as they can”, the coach said.
“The other fact is that we also wanted to play on flat tracks because that is something that we might require when we go abroad. So it’s all a part of them having to adapt and adjust to conditions that they may get when they go abroad for major competitions”, he added.
On Harmanpreet Kaur’s injury, which happened during the 5th ODI, he said that she has sustained a hip strain, grade 1, that will be monitored and he assured that all the necessary procedures were duly followed.
“As things stand now, I don’t think it is a serious injury and we might see her take the field in the T20 series”, he concluded.
India will play South Africa again in a three-match T20I series starting 20th March 2021 at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow.
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I’m a Senior Masters student pursuing Journalism and Mass Communication. An all time Cricket enthusiast. I could never play the game but always loved watching it, and now writing about it!