Boria Majumdar
India’s women’s team has been below par. Time and again, they have failed in crunch situations. The skipper has not led from the front. In fact, as Trisha Ghosal – who has been shadowing the side for RevSportz throughout the campaign – has written already, not one day did Harmanpreet Kaur front up to the media. Smriti Mandhana came to the press conference after the England loss, and handled things with dignity. The vice-captain stepped up for the captain. That’s what brings me to the point – should India look beyond Harman irrespective of what happens in the World Cup?
Make no mistake, she is still one of the best batters in the team. Her innings against England was proof of what she is capable of. But as captain, things have not looked good. England won by four runs, and when you think that Harman did not bowl Renuka Singh Thakur and instead asked Shree Charani to bowl the final over – after she had a bad day – you wonder how differently things might have turned out.
It is about Harman and Amol Muzumdar. Time and again, cameras showed the head coach in the change room. And it was evident he was feeling the pressure. He was nervous and frustrated. Things were getting to him. Muzumdar should have sent instructions for Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana. One of them had to hit, and hit big. The match was anyway slipping away, and there was no point trying to take it deep. Instead, Muzumdar bottled it. It happens, but for India it was the worst time for the captain and coach to let pressure get to them.
The truth is, it is time to forget. Look beyond the three losses. If India win the next two, against New Zealand and Bangladesh, the losses won’t matter and the cup campaign will begin afresh from there. Just play the remaining matches as knock-out encounters. Four games to the cup. From pre-quarterfinals to the final. The New Zealand game is your starting point.
India have come close in each of the last three games. All they need to do is cross the line. Close things out. That’s where we need Harmanpreet and Muzumdar to be proactive. They can’t be closed and insipid. It is their time to act and take control. If ever there was need for leadership, it is now. A failed World Cup campaign will push the sport back, and both will lose their jobs. So, in all fairness, it is time to act. Do all it takes and showcase the will to win.
Most in the media and the fan base were left shell-shocked after the England defeat. Frustrated and angry. But then, such reactions are very understandable. Now that the dust has settled and each one of us has moved on, may I say it is time to back the team. Stay with them for the next two games, for they are literally make-or-break encounters. We will all get plenty of time to stocktake and mourn. Two wins, and everything will change. The fans can indeed make a difference, and India have a decent record in Navi Mumbai.
For India, the past needs to be forgotten. The World Cup begins against New Zealand, and that’s how the game should be played.
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