It would have been India’s record run-chase in ODIs and they looked on course to reach it thanks to a brilliant 125-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana (88) and Harmanpreet Kaur (70). But in the end, a collapse started from Mandhana’s dismissal and India ended up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Speaking after the match in Indore late on Sunday night, a visibly disappointed Mandhana said the batters’ shot selections left a lot to be desired at the end, and took it upon herself as she reflected on the morale-sapping defeat.
“We could have done better with our short selections. Especially it started from me so I will take it on me that the shot selection should have been better. We just needed 6 per over. Maybe we should have taken the game deeper. So yeah I mean I’ll take it from myself because the collapse started from me,” Mandhana told the media.
With 55 needed off 53 balls, Mandhana played a rash shot against Linsey Smith, with the left-arm spinner angling the ball away from the Indian opener’s reach which meant she couldn’t get the timing and placement right. “For sure I thought I could take her on. I was trying to aim more over covers. I mistimed that shot. Maybe the shot wasn’t needed at that time. I just needed to be more patient because throughout the innings I was trying to tell myself to be patient and not to play aerial shots. But maybe the emotions took over for that one, which never helps in cricket. So yeah, I mean, but walking back for sure, I mean, I was pretty confident that we’ll be able to get the win, but I mean, it’s cricket, you can’t ever think too ahead.”
Even when Mandhana walked back, the equation was still very much within India’s grasps. That they had a well-set Deepti Sharma in the middle, with Richa Ghosh, Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana to follow, the hosts should have still crossed the finish line. But Ghosh never got going in her brief stay and then Deepti’s dismissal in Sophie Ecclestone’s last over effectively ended India’s chances. England were able to take wickets at key moments and excellent death bowling from Smith ensured India finished just short of the total.
“Of course Richa has been good for us, but I wouldn’t say that it’s only dependent on her, we just needed around 6.5 per over, it’s not like we needed 9 per over that the finishing part was a lot to ask,” Mandhana said when asked if the finishing was getting too dependent on Richa alone. “But we’ve seen Aman do that in WPL and as well as Sneh has been brilliant in the last 4-5 overs with a bat for us in the first 3-4 matches. So, I wouldn’t say that especially this one that it was only dependent on one player. We’ll all take it on ourselves that we could have actually done better in the last six odd overs.”
Mandhana, who was calm and calculated for most of the run-chase with her use of cuts and late cuts, also refused to read too much into her innings, saying since the team lost, the 80-odd meant nothing special to her. “When I batted I just felt new ball did a bit, especially I think Lauren Bell was getting those movements and one odd ball had a little bit of extra nip today. My innings – if you lose I don’t think – it doesn’t mean anything. I had to be a little more patient than I’ve been in the last two, three months. But yeah, depending how you have to bat for the team, that was the thought process till that ball I played (the dismissal). I wouldn’t really want to talk about my innings because it doesn’t mean anything because we lost.”
