Harmanpreet Kaur Praises Team's Performance After Victory Over Sri Lanka
India Secures Series Lead with Impressive Win
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 23: After leading her team to victory against Sri Lanka in the second T20I, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her satisfaction with the team's overall performance, particularly highlighting the contributions of Vaishnavi Sharma and Shafali Verma.
Shafali and Vaishnavi were instrumental in India's success, with the latter claiming two wickets, allowing India to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The team triumphed over Sri Lanka by seven wickets, with 49 balls to spare.
"I am thrilled with our bowling today. That was the reason we chose to bowl first. The bowlers took charge and established a strong position early on. Later, Shafali and the other batters finished the job effectively. Everyone in our bowling unit understands their responsibilities and is stepping up. We know what Sneh brings to the table, and Deepti has been consistent, but I am very pleased with our overall bowling performance," Harmanpreet stated during the post-match presentation.
"We were eagerly anticipating Vaishnavi's maiden wicket. Despite a few missed chances in the previous game, she bowled a crucial over today and took two wickets," she added.
Harmanpreet also mentioned that the team is diligently working on their fielding and is pleased with the progress made.
"Before arriving here, we discussed setting specific standards for ourselves as a team, and everyone is dedicated to that. Each player knows their role when they step up to bat and is prepared to take responsibility," she remarked.
Shafali, who was named 'Player of the Match' for her impressive half-century, noted that the ball was "holding a bit at the start."
"So I focused on playing along the ground and taking singles. The coach advised me on how to approach such conditions. They bowled well initially. It was a solid innings. I remained calm, aimed to play along the ground, and the ball was coming onto the bat nicely. I understand that I can score runs if I play the ball correctly. Acceptance is key; acknowledging your weaknesses is essential for becoming a better cricketer," she explained.
Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu commented that her team began well during the powerplay but failed to capitalize on that momentum, losing crucial wickets and struggling during the middle overs.
"India executed their bowling plans effectively, and our batters attempted to play their shots, but we kept hitting straight to the fielders. These are areas we definitely need to improve. If we bat first against India, we need at least 150 runs or more. We must enhance our handling of the middle overs, rotate the strike better, and consistently seek boundaries," she stated.
"We need to hit more boundaries. As a bowling unit, we faced challenges, especially with the dew. It was tough to grip the ball as spinners and achieve any significant turn. Overall, we need to improve as a team. On a pitch like this, scoring over 150 is crucial for a chance at victory. Once India gets going, it becomes very challenging to bowl at them. Hopefully, we learn quickly, make better decisions, and have better outcomes next time," she added.
In the match, India won the toss and chose to bowl first. Contributions from Harshitha Samarawickrama (33 runs off 32 balls, including four boundaries) and skipper Chamari (31 runs off 24 balls, with three fours and two sixes) helped Sri Lanka reach 128/9 in their 20 overs. Shree Charani (2/23) and Vaishnavi Sharma (2/31) were the standout bowlers for India.
During the chase of 129 runs, India lost Smriti Mandhana early, but Shafali (69 not out off 34 balls, with 11 fours and a six) and Jemimah Rodrigues (26 runs off 15 balls, including four boundaries and a six) played crucial innings, leading India to victory with seven wickets in hand and 49 balls remaining.