Harmanpreet Kaur rues trend of mistakes in big final
Devastated after missing out on a gold medal, India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized the urgency to break the cycle of repeating mistakes in “title clashes,” citing the need to overcome the “mental block” for future events. Despite coming close to winning the coveted gold in women’s cricket at the Commonwealth Games debut, India fell short by nine runs against formidable Australia. The defeat mirrored past experiences, with a similar batting collapse occurring in the T20 World Cup finals against Australia in 2020 and the 2017 ODI World Cup final in England.
Harmanpreet expressed her frustration, stating, “Every time in big finals, we make the same mistakes again and again (with the bat), that is something we have to improve.” She noted that these mistakes are not evident in the league phase or bilateral matches, suggesting a mental block affecting the team.
India appeared to be on track for victory, needing 50 runs off the last six overs with eight wickets in hand, but ultimately lost the last five wickets for 13 runs due to poor shot selections. Despite a significant 96-run partnership between Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues, both players made regrettable shot choices leading to their dismissals.
Harmanpreet acknowledged the need for an additional batter in the side to address the issue of collapses. She reflected, “Once we get that, this thing [collapsing] will go away.” Despite the setback, she praised the efforts of Jemimah Rodrigues and herself after losing two crucial wickets, stating, “We were nearly there.”
While disappointed with the loss in the summit clash, Harmanpreet expressed satisfaction with India’s Commonwealth Games campaign, stating, “This is the first time we got to play in this tournament and we’re happy to have won a silver medal.” She emphasized the inspiration the medal could provide to people back home and the team’s desire to motivate young girls to take up cricket.
Addressing the unusual circumstance of Australian all-rounder Tahlia McGrath playing despite testing positive for COVID-19, Harmanpreet praised the decision, highlighting the importance of sportsmanship. India displayed a spirited fielding performance that restricted Australia to 161 for 8, and Harmanpreet commended the team’s efforts in that aspect. Despite the challenging last few overs in the chase, she expressed overall satisfaction with India’s outstanding gameplay throughout the match.