India women cricket team led by Harmanpreet Kaur lost the opening match of Paytm tri-nation series T20 International tournament to Australia by six wickets at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday. Though India lost the match, elegant Indian opener Smriti Mandhana won the hearts of Indian cricket fans with her sensational 67-run knock.
Mandhana took only 30 balls to complete her half century, etching her name on the fastest 50 record in women’s cricket. Before Mandhana, captain of Indian women’s ODI team Mithali Raj held the fastest 50 record. Raj had taken 36 balls to complete her 50.
Mandhana’s 67-run knock against Australia was also her highest score in T20 cricket. During her knock, Mandhana faced 41 deliveries and struck 11 fours and two sixes.
Earlier, talking about India’s humiliating defeat, Mandhana admitted that Women-in-Blue were not learning from their mistakes from their previous game. The 21-year-old cricketer blamed herself for the loss and said she threw her wicket away.
“We are not learning from our mistakes in the One Dayers. I have been timing the ball well, but I have been getting out after getting set, so that is the take away from this match,” Mandhana said.
Mandhana’s 67 runs against Australia in today’s game is her highest individual T20I score and it went vain as Indian was not able to cash it and once again their middle order failed.
Giving the example of Mithali Raj, Mandhana said the juniors needed to own up to their mistakes and learn from the ODI skipper and other senior players.
“It’s very easy to blame others and not put it on ourselves. As player it is easy to say that they didn’t perform, but the fact is that it is really hard for a new batsman to come and bat, and it is really for a set batswoman to play, so it is much easier for me to continue till the 20th over than for the other batswoman to continue and bat. I am taking that blame on myself, that if I am set and hitting the ball well, I should continue, like Mithali di does, we have to learn from our seniors,” explained Mandhana.
The Vice Captain also said 175 would have been a good score and she was aiming at 170 but was unable to achieve it. “Against this Australian side when I was hitting the ball well I thought anything above 175 would be good because they have great depth in their batting, I was aiming at 17O above but I gave my wicket away,” she said.
-With PTI inputs.