Harmanpreet Kaur has defended the team management's decision to leave Mithali Raj out from the playing XI for India's first T20I versus New Zealand in Wellington.
Visitors lost the opening encounter of the three-match series, which raised question marks over Raj's non-selection. But skipper Kaur confirmed that they wanted to give youngsters like Priya Punia the opportunity of playing in foreign conditions because the next few T20I series are scheduled at home.
"We are looking to give chance to the young girls. We only have these 3 overseas games and then we are playing more in Indian conditions. That’s the reason we are giving chances to the young girls," Kaur was quoted saying after the match on Wednesday, February 6.
"Bowlers did really well as this track was really good to bat on. We still restricted them to 159. But in the last 10 overs, we didn’t bat well."
"We need to improve our batting in the last 10 overs. That is the area we are always struggling. We need someone who can give us a good strike-rate when we are finishing the innings," she added.
New Zealand women's bowler Lea Tahuhu was awarded "player-of-the-match" for her magnificent spell of 3/20, which helped white ferns comeback in the game after Smriti Mandhana's early onslaught that ended with a 34-ball 58.
"I am pretty bounced, to be honest. We didn’t have the start that we wanted but to be able to come back and pull that one out of the bag is pretty great," Tahuhu later said.
"We adjusted our plans mid-way through the innings seeing that they got off to a flyer. It was just about keeping calm."
Before captain Amy Satterthwaite expressed delight over home team's victory.
"I am feeling a lot better now. After the first half of the Indian innings, I was a little bit concerned. Our catches were outstanding and the catch by Rowe really sparked our comeback," Satterthwaite asserted
"We kept saying that if we get a couple of wickets, the run-rate will start climbing. That’s what we managed to do by picking wickets at regular intervals."
(Inputs from CricketNext)
