‘Focus a little more on…’: Former India spinner’s advice to Harmanpreet and co. ahead of high stakes Pakistan clash

Harmanpreet Kaur led team India were in for a surprise in their first encounter when they suffered a thumping 58 run defeat at the hands of Kiwis, plunging their net run rate to -2.900. Team India now need to win all their remaining three games against Pakistan, Australia and Sri Lanka in order to secure a berth in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. 

Also Read | India Women vs Pakistan Women Live Score, T20 World Cup 2024

'Need to do your homework properly':

Ahead of Sunday's clash with Pakistan, former India spinner Poonam Yadav has pointed out where the Women in Blue fell short against New Zealand. Yadav said Harmanpreet Kaur's side should have done their homework instead of focusing on the pitch conditions.

Speaking on Star Sports press room, Yadav said, “I thought we had already made up our mindset that since it is an evening game, there would be a dew factor, but if you look at the New Zealand team, they have done their homework very well. New Zealand batted first and we thought there would be a dew factor, but when I said after the toss, I said that maybe Sophie Devine knew dew won’t come into play. So, they batted first. Once they scored 160, it was said that India have never chased,”

“So, I think you need to do your homework properly when you are performing at such a big stage. Whether it’s your bowling or batting, you should focus a little more on those things rather than thinking about whether the conditions are in your favour or not,” the former Indian cricketer added. 

'Indian women will bounce back': 

Yadav also went on to say that the first match doesn't decide anything and the Indian women will bounce back strongly to make their presence felt in the tournament. She said, “The Indian women’s team will bounce back because, after a big loss in the first match, as an Indian, you always come back stronger. I believe the team will learn a lot from this first loss and make a strong comeback,” 

“The first match doesn’t decide anything, but now it’s important to maintain a good run rate in the remaining matches. You have to win decisively and come back stronger. Your preparation needs to be solid, and the comeback must be impactful. You have to overcome all obstacles to stay competitive in this tournament,” Poonam added