Harmanpreet fit for SL match, conditions have been different from expectations: Mandhana
Dubai: India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the side against Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 World Cup, having got retired hurt in the previous game due to discomfort in her neck.
Harmanpreet had walked off the field when she was batting on 29 against Pakistan on Sunday. India won that game by six wickets but still face early elimination from the tournament following the loss to New Zealand in their opener.
“She (Harman) is doing fine and she will be fine for tomorrow,” Mandhana told reporters.
However, there is no clarity over the fitness status of all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar who missed the Pakistan game.
“Pooja, I think the medical team is still working on her. So, the update will come only tomorrow during the match. But yeah, I don’t think I can say anything at the moment,” said Mandhana. Conditions different from our expectations
Mandhana, the best batter in the side, has failed to get going thus far on the slow wickets of the UAE where stroke making has proved to be extremely tough.
India face Sri Lanka on Wednesday, a team that stunned them in the Asia Cup final not so long ago. They are yet to play Australia and their hopes of making the semifinals hang by a thread.
“It (run rate) definitely was last match, but as I said, the conditions are a lot different to what you expect as a batter
so you are probably thinking to get that run rate high and also you firstly you have to win the match first that’s the first priority for us,” said Mandhana.
“So, it’s a balance between trying to find out what’s the best for the team. Of course, you know in the last match I couldn’t like I started off fine but then later on I consumed a few dot balls which was a little irritating for me... “...but yeah having said that as batters we have to be
really smart we can’t we can’t just go out there thinking that oh we are going to take on this bowling lineup and we are just going to cruise because of course the conditions and the outfield is a lot different,”
she said.
