Harmanpreet Kaur can well pack up and say goodbye

Harmanpreet Kaur may well have played her last T20 international match for India as her team lost to Australia by nine runs in the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in Sharjah on Sunday night. This was a must-win match for India.  Once it became clear Alyssa Healy, who appeared in the stadium on crutches after a right foot injury and was ruled out, India may have heaved a sigh of relief. No, these Aussies know how to win even without their most dominating player and pulled off a win which left the Indians red-faced. It was a sea of blue at the Sharjah Stadium but the kind of performance which India put up was pathetic, to say the least. All hopes of India making the semi-finals now hang on Pakistan defeating New Zealand on Monday. That will be as rare as expecting rains in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates at this time of the year.

The more one sees contests between India and Australia in women’s cricket, the more it becomes clear there is a mindset problem. Add to it poor captaincy from Harmanpreet, who did score a half century -- of no use -- the chase on a sluggish wicket like Sharjah was impossible. Yet, what happened in the 20th over was crazy as Annabel Sutherland single-handedly choked India. The way wickets fell like nine-pins in the 20th over suggested India were unable to absorb the pressure. This was poor cricket and almost to a point of choking. How does one explain four wickets lost, which includes run-outs as well.  

To be sure, even the most faithful fan who watches Indian women’s cricket will stop dreaming about an Indian entry into the semi-finals. Frankly speaking, India do not deserve to be there as they have made a hash of it. They choked against New Zealand early on in the group stage, beat Pakistan without an eye on the net run-rate and beat Sri Lanka, a side which has looked pathetic. Sport is all about mind games, so India should have capitalised on the psychological advantage of Alyssa Healy not playing and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck now out of the tournament with a shoulder dislocation. No, what one saw was poor captaincy from Harmanpreet and poor fielding as well from the Indians.

Given the strength and quality on paper, the failure of Team India is a collective one. “Whatever was in our hands, we were trying to do that. But that is something not in our control. If we get an opportunity to play another game (semi-finals) that will be great,” said Harmanpreet later. She should ask herself questions if this Indian team even deserves to be in the World Cup semi-finals for the kind of pathetic cricket they have churned out. On paper, a side which has stars like Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodriguez and a few more young players should have dished out far more cohesive cricket. Even on Sunday, India managed to start well, getting rid of two Aussies for 17 runs, which included Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham. The choke chain should have been pulled from there but was not to be seen.

Nobody lets the Aussies off the hook and once that happened, stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath was going to lead with aplomb. The Aussies have a great mindset in sport. If the men’s team cricket has been ruthless, the women are equally sharp. Their domination speaks volumes, though for Alyssa Healy to be ruled out was a big blow. How the Aussies regrouped was the big story, and in such short time.

Back to India, they have cribbed for better facilities. They have got everything on a platter, including more money. Somewhere, there has to be a more professional outlook and performance. One department where India looked so poor was fielding. Modern day cricket is all about high standards in fitness, taking catches and being athletic. For those reports which suggested the Indian fielders were going through practice drills in taking catches in the UAE, it’s shocking news. If Harmanpreet goes out, so should coach Amol Mazumdar, whose methods seem boring. He not only has failed to bring the best out of the side but shown little direction. And, yes, hire and fire is acceptable in women’s cricket at home.