‘Bowling unit really came together’: Mandhana credits bowlers after 2nd T20I win
Raipur, Oct 18 (IANS) India’s new captain Smriti Mandhana credited her bowlers for having “come together” during the second T20I against Zimbabwe at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Sunday.
The Indian bowlers hunted in a pack as they kept the visitors to 102/8, with Niki Prasad picking up 2-7 in her two overs. Pacers Kranti Gaud and Nandni Sharma and spinners Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani also picked up a wicket each as the Indian bowlers put up an improved performance from the previous match, where the visitors had made 114/5 in their 20 overs.
Speaking after the nine-wicket win in the series-sealing second ODI, Mandhana credited the bowlers for their performance. “Well, it was a good one today. I felt the bowlers were really on the mark today, much better than the first match. They were executing their yorkers, slower ones, bouncers really well. Then spinners, of course, Deepti, Shree, Niki coming in and bowling those two overs.
“So overall I feel like, yeah, the bowling unit really came together today. Of course, we could have gotten better with the catching today. That’s something which we can be critical about,” Mandhana said in the post-match presentation.
India also made a tactical adjustment with the ball as they went fuller in the second game, and it reaped rewards as India kept a lid on the visitors. Yeah, as we discussed in the last match, that unknown – of course, we had seen a few batters from the Zimbabwe team, but again today we had much better plans in a way because we knew how they batted in the first game (bowling fuller balls).
“So yeah, we had a lot of good plans, but you know you can plan as much as you can, but bowlers have to come and execute, and today I felt they were really on the mark,” she added.
The skipper, who began her full-time captaincy era with a series win, also reflected on the stellar opening partnership of 96 with vice-captain Shafali Verma that killed the chase.
Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo had called the Indian chase a masterclass. Mandhana praised Shafali for her 55 from 25 balls while adding that she also made the most of the chances she got during her unbeaten 47 from 25 balls.
“Well, Shafali was doing her thing in the powerplay; the way she was just whacking, I was really happy to give her a single. And whenever my chances came, I took those on. But yeah, I mean, that’s the brand of cricket we would love playing, and we’ll keep continuing to do that,” she concluded.
–IANS
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