‘Couldn’t sleep after final defeat’
Punam Raut, India’s top scorer in the Women’s World Cup final, sums up feelings of the team after returning
It was mixed feelings for the Indian women’s cricket team opener Punam Raut after the ICC World Cup journey came to an agonising end on Sunday.
When the Indian team kicked off their campaign against England on June 24, Raut slammed a match-winning 86 to help stun the hosts by 35 runs. A month later, England avenged that loss at Lord’s in the World Cup final, after Raut fell for the same score. This time, however, India fell short by nine runs.
A cramping Raut brought her team close to the finish line. But after she was dismissed, India collapsed and lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs.
It was an emotional night for Raut. “It was very difficult to sleep that night. We were in the hotel, all alone and there were too many thoughts running in my mind. I later told myself that whatever happens, it does for the good. There could be something better in store for us in the future.
“I was analysing what we could have done better and why this situation developed. I tried to think about all the positive things that had happened and how to make sure it continued,” Raut told Hindustan Times after arriving on Wednesday with the rest of the Mithali Raj-led squad.
Despite Kaur’s dismissal, the hopes were intact with Raut and Veda Krishnamurthy stitching a 53-run stand for the fourth wicket.
CHANCE FRITTERED
From a strong situation, Raut felt the team ‘gifted’ the World Cup to England. “I never thought we would come this close after we lost those two early wickets. But I had a good partnership with Harman and that gave us the confidence to win. We were still positive we would pull through when Veda was there. Unfortunately, after I got out, Veda probably felt the pressure and played that shot.
“That’s the beauty of this game. Anything can happen till the last moment. It was difficult to accept that defeat as the match was totally in our control. It was like we gifted the World Cup to them (England),” she said.
“Cramps came at the wrong time. No one can predict such a thing. When you are playing a high intensity game, it happens due to pressure,” she said.
Raut finished as the tournament’s fifth highest scorer, with 381 runs in nine matches.