Former India cricketer Diana Edulji feels Harmanpreet Kaur could have done better while completing the second run which resulted in her dismissal on Thursday during the Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal against England. The Indian skipper scored 52 runs to pull India back into the game after India top order Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia dismissed early with just 28 runs on the scoreboard.
Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues shared a crucial 69-run stand to pull India back into the game. However, Harmanpreet failed to take her team over the line and was run out in the 15th over which completely shifted momentum in Australia’s favour.
Edulji felt the India skipper could have done better and said that she was jogging while taking the second run.
“She is thinking the bat got stuck but if you see the second run she was jogging. Why are you running in a relaxed manner when you know when your wicket is so important? You have to play professional cricket to win. Look at the dive Perry made to save those two runs. That is what professionalism is,” she told PTI.
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“They don’t give up till the end and we are not ready to fight at all. You can’t be falling at the last hurdle all the time.
“She was casual on the second run. She thought she would comfortably reach. We were told in the 1970s by Mr. Sunil Gavaskar that every ball you have to learn to ground your bat then only you get into that habit,” she said.
Though still a teenager, Shafali Verma is into her fourth year of international cricket. She was below par in the World Cup and did not have the best of times in the U-19 World Cup where she was captain.
“If Shafali Verma thinks she can’t be dropped then she is mistaken. I would like to see videos of her getting out, which ball has been good enough to get her out? Her shot selection is so poor.
“Even in the U-19 World Cup, she did not perform with the bat though the team won. Let the other U-19 opener (Shweta Sehrawat) come in and take her place.
“And what was the need for Jemimah for play that shot? You just got a four before, read the game a little more considering the game situation.
Edulji further criticised Smriti and Harmanpreet for their inconsistency with the bat in the major tournaments.
“Smriti and Harman too have been inconsistent that is why India have not won a major tournament. The talent is there but they have to be given rigourous training. We have enough firepower in the batting department.” Edulji feels a change in leadership will not make much of a difference.
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“A captain is as good as the team. if Smriti comes in, same players are there. It won’t make much of a difference. Also it’s high time that musical chairs of the support staff is stopped. What is the bowling coach doing? The bowling has deteriorated. Spinners have completely gone out of form.
“With great difficulty we beat Pakistan, West Indies. We should have gone all out against England to escape Australia in the semifinals. They struggled against Ireland too. Okay these were tired (over used) wickets but everyone was playing on the same surface,” added Edulji.
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