India play a very important series decider against Australia on Tuesday night. With the World Cup just 9 months away, it is key for India to win this series, for it will give the team and the skipper a much-needed confidence boost. And that’s what brings me to the captain. Harmanpreet Kaur is possibly going to play one of the more important matches of her career tonight.
She hasn’t done anything with the bat of late and the pressure, clearly, is getting to her. Each time she comes out to bat, there is a kind of build-up. And when you aren’t scoring, it can’t be good. With the fans expecting big things, the occasion and the pressure can get to you. That’s what fear of failure is all about. And that’s what Harmanpreet needs to overcome when she steps out there tonight.
In one of her press conferences, she mentioned that she has found strange ways of getting out and also needs a bit of luck. Twice or thrice, she has been unlucky. But that doesn’t explain the many other single-digit scores in the last few games. That’s where Harmanpreet needs to confront the truth. And the truth is she perhaps needs to get back to domestic cricket. Accept the fact that she isn’t in great form, and try to change things from there. Acceptance is the first step in changing things for the better, and being brazen isn’t really the best way forward.
As a proud athlete, it is very hard to accept that you aren’t in form. That you aren’t doing the things that once came rather easily to you. In her case, hitting sixes and scoring quickly is something she has been known for. To come to terms with the fact that it isn’t happening is hard. But then that’s what every great player goes through. Geoff Boycott used to play second-string county cricket to get some runs under his belt.
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Sachin Tendulkar would just seek to play as many games as possible. Sourav Ganguly played every possible game for Bengal when he was dropped in 2005. Harmanpreet needs to take a step back and calibrate. Now, with Amol Mazumdar there to help, she has someone who has played enough and more cricket to make a difference. India will need Harmanpreet at the World Cup and to be able to do her best, she needs to sort out the problems now. And acceptance is the first step forward.
Harmanpreet isn’t bowling much these days, and that’s also an issue. Had she bowled her quota of overs and picked up a few wickets, the pressure of not scoring runs would have lessened a bit. In every sense, this is something the skipper will now have to deal with.
To make a radical suggestion – if things don’t go well in the decider, she could also think of giving up the captaincy to focus on her game. With less pressure, it might just be a little easier to get her form back. And in all honesty, India need Harmanpreet the batter much more. Unless she is able to bat big, India lack the firepower necessary to win a global tournament like the World Cup. Captaining India can be draining, and Harmanpreet, however resilient she is, must be feeling the pressure mount.
In every sense, this is a big game. A strong performance from India will push many a hard question to the back burner. But another series loss, and a lot of uncomfortable questions will come to the fore. Harmanpreet will find herself in a tight spot, and will need to introspect about what’s best for her. A good batting effort against Australia in a winning cause could change everything, and her legion of fans will hope she delivers. It will give her a new lease of life, and India a rare series win against the world champions.
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