Have to keep believing in ourselves: Raj
First Published : 27 Sep 2012, 19:42
Last Modified : 27 Sep 2012, 19:42
Galle, Sep 27: India were comprehensively beaten by defending champions Australia in their tournament opener of the 2012 ICC Women's World Twenty20. India's batting woes continued as they were restricted to a small total after opting to bat first. Reflecting on the loss, skipper Mithali Raj, said, "I think the passage of play where I was run-out and the few overs following that, was where we lost momentum."
"Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur] and I were batting really well, but we collapsed once again. One defeat doesn't mean the end of the road; we have to keep believing in ourselves. We can't sulk about this, surprises do happen," she added.
The India captain has been the mainstay of the batting order, while her deputy, Harmanpreet, has also emerged as a reliable bat in recent times. Speaking on whether they would consider shuffling the batting order, Raj said, "Yes, it is important to be flexible, but we'll see what best we can come up with in the remaining games. Whatever it is, we'll have to execute well."
Raj's opposite number, Jodie Fields was pleased with her team's performance, which helped them begin the tournament on a positive note. The Australian skipper lauded her players for their contributions in the game.
Meg Lanning, who top-scored with 39, also became the first batter in Women's Twenty20 cricket history to register five consecutive scores over 30. Showering the opener high praise, Fields said, "We expect her to set the tone at the top of the innings. She is fearless and extremely confident; just love watching her bat."
Speaking about the pitch she observed, "We were a little surprised at the way the pitch behaved, to be honest. The ball was turning a lot, but there was good carry as well. Our spinners bowled in the right areas and exploited the conditions."
Erin Osborne, who claimed three wickets for Australia, said, "I think I was just a beneficiary of some fantastic work done by the other bowlers," while speaking about her bowling spell.
