‘India can put pressure on any team’
SYDNEY: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said on Wednesday her team has the ability to put pressure on any side in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup if it stays in the right frame of mind.
Insisting that positivity is the biggest strength of this Indian team, Harmanpreet said they are eagerly waiting to face four-time champions and title holders Australia in the tournament opener here on Friday.
“The nerves do start to kick in because we are very excited about that opening game and we’re looking positive in that,” said Harmanpreet, who knows the city well after her stint with Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League.
“We are a side that can put pressure on any team, we just look to stay in the right mindset and play in the way we can because that is our biggest strength.
“In sport, sometimes you are in good form and others you are not. I know that everyone playing in this tournament will look to be positive, and that is good for our team,” she added.
With less than two days remaining for their clash against Australia at the Sydney Showground, Harmanpreet said a slow track and a huge Indian diaspora augured well for her side.
“If the Sydney Showground is on the slower side, it will suit us, and it looks that way currently. We are looking good in that,” she said.
“We all know that everyone in India loves cricket, wherever we go we always have our fans out there supporting and we are looking forward to that again.” Players from both teams will be backing themselves to go all the way to the final at the MCG on March 8, hoping to walk out in front of a record attendance for a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world.
The hype leading into the tournament is arguably greater than ever before.
Young Australia pacer Annabel Sutherland, who is the daughter of former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, will be taking her first strides in the Women’s T20 World Cup, just a few weeks after making her T20I debut.
“I’m absolutely pumped, we’re all really excited to get going in what’s a big and really important game against India,” said the 18-year-old.
“I’m loving this experience. I didn’t expect it at all so I’m just looking to enjoy it as much as I can and embrace everything that comes with it. It’s an honour to be part of this team, one that has had success over the years, and I’ve been welcomed in with open arms which has been lovely,” she added.
‘INDIA WILL ADD A FOURTH DIMENSION’
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee believes the Indian women’s team will add a fourth dimension to the T20 World Cup.
“With Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma in their batting unit, we’ll also need to keep a close eye on India, a side who are set to add a fourth dimension to this tournament,” Lee wrote in his column for the ICC. Lee further said that the tournament opener between Australia and India could really set a tone for the tournament as it’s going to be a match-up between two of the most impressive teams in the game. “We saw in the tri-series that these two countries play exciting brands of cricket and I can’t wait for what is not only going to be a fantastic match, but also a huge occasion for global sport.”