NEWS
Follow UsIt has been a disappointing white-ball leg of the tour that saw India Women succumb to 2-1 series loss in the T20 International (T20I) series against Australia Women in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday (January 9), after initially taking a 1-0 lead. They also lost the One-Day International (ODI) series after thrashing the Aussies in the one-off Test.
Analysing the white-ball leg of the Australia series, India Women head coach Amol Muzumdar said, "In white-ball cricket, we really need to focus on our fielding and our fitness. And hopefully in the following months, I will get a chance to work on it. Those are some areas we have identified as a group to raise the bar."
"In areas to look into, let's rephrase that to fielding, fitness and DRS. We need to get used to it, get better at it. With the games forward, even if they get used to taking it in the WPL, we might have a better understanding. I said before the series that it could be a gamechanger and I still maintain that. We need to work on it," he further elaborated.
Looking back at the back-to-back home series against England and now Australia, Muzumdar said it was gruelling for everyone involved, but also singled out the Test wins against both teams as the high points.
"There were multiple formats in the month and half we played. The biggest positive is that the girls have responded really nicely in all the formats. We played Test cricket after nine years in India and not many had played red-ball cricket till then. So I think those two test matches were really the highest point. It wasn't easy but the results were complete highs," Muzumdar said.
"Credit to the girls, it's been a gruelling season. We played England and Australia back to back, and in different formats. Not many injuries... only Shubha Satheesh happened and that too on the day of the game and it was a finger injury, so I am really happy with the work that's been put in throughout the season. They monitored everyone, every alternate day we kept a thorough check on all the players, what was happening, including with the substitutes who were not playing. We were keeping a thorough eye on the workloads."
Muzumdar also lauded the team for some excellent displays despite losing ODI and T20I series.
"We had a good chat in the huddle just before this game. We said that irrespective of the result, we should be proud of the way we have played, all the series, all the games. Apart from one, the third ODI, all the other games have been really close," Muzumdar said.
"So they should be proud of what they have done. Every single member's effort is appreciated and it includes the support staff also and every player who's come in and gone after the Test matches.
"At the moment, it's a happy dressing room. I know we have not got the result which we have wanted in this series but they are in a happy space and that's how it should be and that's how I intend it to be till the World Cup."
