We didn’t play our best cricket, says Harmanpreet after loss to NZ

India bowled out for 102 in 19 overs in their pursuit of 161 with not a single player reaching an individual score of 20

Dubai: A distraught Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur conceded that her team didn’t play its best cricket during the 58-run thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in their Women’s T20 World Cup opener but remains confident that her players are capable of much better performances.

India were bowled out for 102 in 19 overs in their pursuit of 161 with not a single player reaching an individual score of 20. “We didn’t play our best cricket. Going forward we know every game is important,” Kaur said at post-match presentation ceremony.

---

She didn’t agree that 161 was a difficult target on a slowish track. “We have chased many times 160-170, we were expecting that on the board. While batting, we knew someone had to bat through but we kept losing wickets.” India play Pakistan on Sunday and Kaur feels that her team will come up trumps against arch rivals.

“We know this group is capable of better, this wasn’t the start we were expecting but we have to go from here.” On the bowling front, Kaur felt that her team didn’t cash in on chances.

“We created chances but we were not able to avail those chances. They played better cricket than us, no doubt about that. Fielding we made some mistakes so that is a learning for us going forward,” she said possibly referring to Renuka Thakur’s sloppy outfield effort and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh’s bungle in the Powerplay.

Opposition skipper Sophie Devine, awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for her unbeaten 57 off 36 balls, expressed her amazement at being able to dominate a team like India in such a fashion, especially after New Zealand’s recent string of defeats heading to the the tournament.

“I’m really proud of this group. People have been speaking about our recent results, coming out against a world-class side like India, to produce that performance I’m overwhelmed. We’ve been targeting this game for a long time,” Devine said.