Harmanpreet Kaur “Was Casual…”: Ex-Captain On India Skipper’s Run Out In Women’s T20 World Cup Semi-final | Cricket News

Chasing a 173-run target against Australia in the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final, India were batting confidently at one stage, till skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s run out happened. The match turned dramatically when Harmanpreet was run out with just 40 runs needed off 32 balls. Kaur batted superbly to make 52 off 34 balls. She hit a ball to deep midwicket and seemed set to complete a comfortable two runs only for her bat to jab into the turf just short of the crease. Kaur threw her bat angrily as she walked off. That dismissal pegged back India ultimately.

Harmanpreet’s run out was the turning point of the game and former Indian women’s cricket team captain Diana Edulji felt the India skipper could have done better.

“She is thinking the bat got stuck but if you see the second run she was jogging. Why are you running in a relaxed manner when you know when your wicket is so important? You have to play professional cricket to win. Look at the dive Perry made to save those two runs. That is what professionalism is,” Edulji, who was part of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee which ran the BCCI for 33 months, told PTI.

“They don’t give up till the end and we are not ready to fight at all. You can’t be falling at the last hurdle all the time.

“She was casual on the second run. She thought she would comfortably reach. We were told in the 1970s by Mr. Sunil Gavaskar that every ball you have to learn to ground your bat then only you get into that habit,” she said.

“Shafali’s shot selection is poor”

Though still a teenager, Shafali Verma is into her fourth year of international cricket. She was below par in the World Cup and did not have the best of times in the U-19 World Cup where she was captain.

“If Shafali Verma thinks she can’t be dropped then she is mistaken. I would like to see videos of her getting out, which ball has been good enough to get her out? Her shot selection is so poor.

“Even in the U-19 World Cup, she did not perform with the bat though the team won. Let the other U-19 opener (Shweta Sehrawat) come in and take her place.

“And what was the need for Jemimah for play that shot? You just got a four before, read the game a little more considering the game situation.

“Smriti and Harman too have been inconsistent that is why India have not won a major tournament. The talent is there but they have to be given rigourous training. We have enough firepower in the batting department.” Edulji feels a change in leadership will not make much of a difference.

“A captain is as good as the team. if Smriti comes in, same players are there. It won’t make much of a difference. Also it’s high time that musical chairs of the support staff is stopped. What is the bowling coach doing? The bowling has deteriorated. Spinners have completely gone out of form.

“With great difficulty we beat Pakistan, West Indies. We should have gone all out against England to escape Australia in the semifinals. They struggled against Ireland too. Okay these were tired (over used) wickets but everyone was playing on the same surface,” added Edulji.

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