Women's T20 WC: Harmanpreet reacts following India's defeat vs NZ
The Indian women's cricket team faced a crushing defeat in their opening match of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The team was outplayed by New Zealand, who secured a commanding 58-run victory in Dubai on Friday. The Indian batting line-up faltered while chasing a target of 161 runs, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur's brief innings of 15 runs from 14 balls being the highest individual score.
New Zealand's bowling attack dismantles India
New Zealand's Rosemary Mair was instrumental in the team's victory, claiming four wickets and restricting India to a total of 102 runs in 19 overs. Lea Tahuhu and Eden Carson also contributed significantly with two wickets each. Mair's swing deliveries proved too challenging for the Indian batters, who struggled to clear the 30-yard circle due to a lack of power in their approach.
Kaur reflects on disappointing start to T20 World Cup
Following the defeat, a disappointed Kaur acknowledged that the team did not perform at their best. "We didn't play our best cricket today. Going forward we have to think what areas we have to improve," she said. She admitted that New Zealand outperformed them and stressed on the importance of avoiding mistakes at such a high level of competition.
New Zealand's strong start and Devine's unbeaten half-century
The match began with New Zealand winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Suzie Bates (27) and Georgia Plimmer (34) laid a solid foundation for their team. Captain Sophie Devine then steered her side to a competitive total with an unbeaten half-century, scoring 57 runs off just 36 balls. After the match, Devine expressed pride in her team's performance and their successful strategy of putting pressure on India's bowlers.
India's collapse and Kaur's outlook on future matches
India's batting line-up stumbled in the powerplay, losing crucial wickets early on. The team lost potential game-changers Shafali Verma (2), Smriti Mandhana (12), and Harmanpreet Kaur (15) within the first six overs. Despite this setback, Kaur remains optimistic about future matches stating, "We know this group is capable of better; this wasn't the start we were expecting, but we have to go from here."
