South Africa deserved to win with the way they batted: Harmanpreet Kaur

Team India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has heaped praise on the South African middle-order batters for taking the game away from the Indian team in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup in Vizag on Thursday, October 9.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet asserted that she was proud of her team’s batting efforts despite the collapse in the middle overs. Notably, India was reeling down at 102/6 in 26 overs. However, Richa Ghosh's spirited effort of 94 runs in 77 balls turned the game upside down.

“Tough game. Both teams played really well. Even though we collapsed while batting, we still managed to put 250 on the board. In the end, Chloe and de Klerk batted really well, they showed it was a very good pitch and they deserved to win with the way they batted,” Harmanpreet Kaur said after the SA game.

“Richa has always been outstanding for us. She is someone who can always turn the game. And today the way she was hitting, we all were very pleased to see that. She is someone who can always hit those big sixes and get a big total on the board. And I think today she played it really beautifully. Hopefully, she will continue,” she added.

In the chase, South Africa looked in all sorts of trouble at 81/5 in 19.4 overs. However, things changed drastically for the visitors as Laura Wolvaardt (70), Chloe Tryon (49) and Nadine de Klerk (84*) changed the game's complexion to take their side over the line in 48.5 overs.

“As a top-order we did not take responsibility and lost too many wickets, we need to go back to the process. We kept losing wickets when we were in the middle. But a lot of learning for us because in the last few games we have been making the same mistake. I think as a group we need to sit and discuss which things can work for us to get a decent total on the board,” she observed.

“It's a long tournament. I know today was a tough game for us. But a lot of learning and a lot of positives to see. As you mentioned, we have good games coming up. The important thing is to keep ourselves in a positive frame of mind and keep doing the right things, keep improving day by day,” Harmanpreet concluded.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!