Women’s T20 WC: Harmanpreet’s fifty in vain as Australia beat India to reach semis
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 54* went in vain as Australia beat India by nine runs in Group A match to reach Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
Former Indian women’s cricket team captain Diana Edulji said that the current Indian team will need to learn from their mistakes to have a chance of winning the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and ending India’s ICC title drought.
“There is something wrong with this team. This is a team which can win every game and it does win from an unlikely situation but the next game it is losing from a comfortable position like it did today. They are simply not consistent enough,” Edulji was quoted as saying by PTI.
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India on Tuesday were defeated by Australia by 5 wickets in the final of the women’s tri-nation series at the Junction Oval in Melbourne. Chasing a stiff target of 156 runs, India were bowled out for 144 following a dismal batting performance.
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“They have all the facilities at their disposal now, at par with men, and yet they have not been able to play consistent cricket and win ICC trophies. If they play like the way they are playing, they will make the semifinals again (at T20 World Cup) but I don’t see them winning the trophy,” Edulji said after India’s loss at the Junction Oval.
The former Committee of Administrators member stressed that Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who is finding it hard to overcome her patchy form, needs to find her rhythm her back. Edulji also suggested that a change in captaincy might work but accepted that there is no one else other than Harmanpreet at the moment.
“Both Harmanpreet and Jemimah need to pull up their socks. Maybe Harman should give up captaincy and play her natural game. Something seems to be troubling her. But who else takes over then. If Smriti is handed captaincy, it might affect her batting too,” said Edulji.
In the recently-concluded T20I tri-series, India lost two and won two matches in the league stage before making it to the final with Australia. The Women in Blue will next face Australia in the T20 World Cup opener against Australia on February 21.
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