Hard Work Got India Team Into Final, Says Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur

NAVI MUMBAI- India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was full of praise for her side, lauding the consistent hard work and intent that led them to the Women’s World Cup final against South Africa, beating seven-time champions Australia.

India pulled off a stunning batting display led by local girl Jemimah Rodrigues, who struck an unbeaten 127 to power the side to a historic chase in the tournament’s history and seal the final berth. She got support from the captain, too, who played a knock of 89 and stitched a crucial partnership of 167 runs that enabled India to chase 339 with nine balls to spare.

“Scoring 300-plus runs regularly in ODIs doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of consistent hard work and intent. Sir (Amol Muzumdar) has been there day and night, pushing us to improve. For me, staying calm in pressure situations comes from experience. I’ve lost many times and learned a lot from those moments. My family, especially my dad, always sits me down after a loss and discusses what I could have done better. Those lessons help me focus when I’m out there again,” Harmanpreet said on JioStar.

“We wanted to bat first, but as usual, the toss didn’t go in our favour. My team jokes that we never win tosses! So, they always expect the toughest situations, and we prepare for that. Everything won’t be easy, but hard work and preparation always give us an edge,” she added.

“This match was very important. When I came to the crease, Jemmy was already batting on around 30, and she told me, ‘We have to be there till the end, and if we are, we can finish this.’ We were very calculative, especially after losing Smriti early. She’s been in great form, and we’ve been quite dependent on her, but we trusted ourselves,” the captain explained.

“We focused on maintaining the run-rate, six to seven runs an over, and that approach paid off. Everyone who went out to bat had the same mindset, not just to survive but to keep the scoreboard moving. That’s what made the difference,” she said.

The victory marked India’s first win against Australia in the World Cup since their Derby win in 2017, when Harmanpreet hammered 171 not out in 115 balls in a semifinal before ultimately losing to England in the final at Lord’s.

India had a topsy-turvy campaign so far in the tournament; they started with two wins but lost three consecutive matches against South Africa, Australia, and England and were struggling for a top-four finish.

Harmanpreet elaborated on how head coach Amol Muzumdar’s motivation helped them stage a fightback in the tournament.

“That day, sir was a little aggressive, in a good way. But everyone took it positively because we knew whatever he was saying came from the right place. We all trust him completely, and his message came from the heart. After that, I spoke to all the players individually because I wanted to know how they were feeling,” she revealed.

“We knew what sir was expecting from us, and honestly, it was the same thing the entire country was expecting, a strong response. Everyone took that feedback in the right spirit, and you can see how the team played with that intent,” Harmanpreet concluded.

India will face the ultimate test against South Africa in the final at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 2. (IANS)