Smriti Mandhana: As India looks to the next test of its might in the T20 World Cup, a debate that becomes only more strident is about the No. 3 batter. “Batter selection will depend on the conditions and match situations,” said vice-captain Smriti Mandhana.
“The wicket and ground conditions are different from what we had anticipated,” Mandhana said on Tuesday. “Our approach will depend on several factors, including the match situation and who we are playing against. It’s not set in stone.”
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In the run-up to the tournament, head coach Amol Muzumdar had indicated that captain Harmanpreet Kaur would take the crucial No. 3 spot. Released from the field with a neck sprain during the previous game, and all clear, Harmanpreet has been cleared of any major injuries. She batted at No 3 in both warm-up matches and the opening game against New Zealand. India selected Jemimah Rodrigues at No. 3 while chasing 106 against Pakistan and pushed Harmanpreet down to No. 4. Yastika Bhatia could also be another available option at No. 3.
Mandhana said that though conditions here in the UAE have been trying, the variation between the afternoon and evening games has been hardly notable, while the dew is yet to be a factor.
“Except for the New Zealand match, no team has scored more than 140 runs up to this point in the tournament,” she pointed out. “That reflects tough playing conditions.”
You don’t think about the net run rate while playing. It is about securing points,” Mandhana said of India’s cautious batting approach against Pakistan. “Winning matches is our top priority. We need to be smart about batting, but getting the two points is our focus there.”
As they prepare for the next game, Mandhana thinks about what the team must do to get better. “We take responsibility for our performances. We had a pretty poor day against New Zealand, but we are committed to playing some of the best cricket going forward,” she said.
Mandhana believes adaptability will be the key in UAE – not only for India but in general for teams. “It’s not that the Asian teams alone are struggling with the conditions; every team is facing similar challenges,” she said. “Our focus would be to understand better the conditions and play the brand of cricket that we aspire to.”.
There’s, therefore, a need to focus on executing strategies to achieve desired performance. Winning momentum back, India will look to execute strategies well while winning critical matches in the tournament.
