India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur feels sheer confidence and a calculative approach helped the visitors level the three-match series with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over England in the second T20 International.
After a rather demoralising defeat in the first game on damp and wet conditions, India bounced back in style to secure a morale-boosting victory and take the series to the decider to be played in Bristol on Thursday.
“I’m really happy, we played well. Everyone was looking forward to winning today, that’s something I’m happy about. We do have plans for all batters, but it was important that we executed them, the fielders supported the bowlers well,” Harmanpreet said after the match on Tuesday night.
“We are improving as a fielding side, the way Radha fielded, she got injured in the last game, I’m happy with her effort today. Whenever we bat together (herself and Smriti), we have the confidence, we can calculate the approach well, the right-left combination is always a positive for us,” she added.
Opener Smriti Mandhana, whose sparkling unbeaten half-century (79 off 53 balls) saw India through and secure a crucial win for the visitors, said the aim was to come back stronger and level the series.
“We were keen to come back stronger and level the series. I was pushing myself and happy that I could contribute to the victory. Good weather to bat (in England), before the CWG, I think I found the going touch,” Smriti said.
“Player of the Match - In T20 cricket, you’d look to try and get a good start to the team. Happy to contribute to the team,” she added.
Smriti praised her opening partner Shefali Verma, with whom she stitched 55 runs for the opening wicket, something that helped India find the momentum right from the beginning of their chase.
“It depends on the day and the bowlers. Two years back, she (Shafali Verma) perhaps was just trying to dominate, but she now knows whom to target and to respect good bowling. The good thing is we can both take advantage of the batting powerplay, whoever is in good touch takes the lead in doing so,” she said.
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