Harmanpreet Kaur laments India's lack of effort post Australia defeat
Indian women's cricket team captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, has expressed her disappointment over the team's performance after they lost to Australia by nine runs in their last 2024 Women's T20 World Cup league match. The defeat has dealt a huge blow to India's hopes of making it to the semi-finals. During the post-match presentation, Kaur pointed out that Australia showed a better team effort which was missing in her own side.
Kaur praises Australia's team strategy and adaptability
Kaur also lauded Australia's team strategy and adaptability during the match. She said, "I think their entire team contributes, they don't depend on one or two players, they have a lot of all-rounders who contribute... They have a batter who can take the target of power play." She further added that Australia don't have anything fixed and can make plans according to pitch conditions or situations.
Kaur acknowledges Australia's experience and fielding skills
Kaur also credited Australia's superior experience and fielding skills as the reason behind their victory. She said, "They didn't give away easy runs and made it difficult. They are an experienced side... It was a chaseable total." Despite her unbeaten 54 off 47 balls, Kaur got little support from the other batters which led to India's defeat.
Kaur reflects on missed opportunities and future prospects
Reflecting on the missed opportunities during her crucial partnership with Deepti Sharma, Kaur said, "When me and Deepti were batting, we couldn't hit a few loose balls. We can learn a lot from Australia." She also regretted that India's fate now rests on the outcome of the New Zealand vs Pakistan match. Despite this setback, she remains hopeful about India's future prospects in the tournament.
Australia's stand-in captain McGrath praises team's performance
Meanwhile, Australia's stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath lauded her team's performance, saying India really came hard at them but they were able to hold their nerves. She said, "We want to win every game we play. We knew it was going to be a really big challenge for us today." McGrath also expressed pride in her team for qualifying for the semi-finals unbeaten despite injuries to key players.
