IND vs AUS, Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Focus is to play our best cricket against Australia, says India skipper Harmanpreet

The India captain wants to keep things simple on Sunday against Australia and doesn’t want to lose sleep over the result of New Zealand vs Pakistan match.

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur plays a shot during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on October 6, 2024. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) | Photo Credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE

A few days ago, Harmanpreet Kaur rediscovered her big-hitting switch against Sri Lanka with an incredible unbeaten 27-ball 52 in a group stage game of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai.

She will hope to have that switch handy when she and India take on old foe Australia in a fight for the knockouts.

That innings was possible due to course correction done to fix the chinks in India’s armour, with the business end approaching.

“Net Run Rate is something that’s running in the minds of both groups now. But it was also important to stay in the present and look at what we can control. These pitches are a bit different from the pitches we get in India,” Harmanpreet said here on Saturday.

“The way Smriti and Shafali started…The most important thing was that we didn’t lose wickets in the PowerPlay. When you have wickets in hand, you can bat with a bit of freedom. My job then became about getting as many runs as possible and finishing the game as soon as possible,” she added.

The version of her on display – monikered Harmonster – first appeared against Australia in that legendary knock of 171 in 2017 ODI World Cup semifinal. While a return to form is welcome, the India captain wants to keep things simple on Sunday.

Two training sessions on the main ground – which included power hitting, high catches and ground fielding drills – seem to have perked up the group.

“Watching on TV, it felt like the ball was holding a bit and turning here in Sharjah but we didn’t feel any of that when we batted here. The ball is coming onto the bat nicely. We’ve given ourselves time to figure out the best strategies on this surface.”

New Zealand has the luxury of playing the final game but India doesn’t want to lose sleep over a destiny that isn’t in its hands.

“The focus is to play our best cricket against Australia. What happens in New Zealand vs Pakistan is not in our hands and we haven’t discussed it. It’s an important game and we just want to keep things simple.