Harmanpreet Kaur on Friday described Harleen Deol's scintillating catch to dismiss England's Amy Jones in the first T20I as a "fantastic" effort, showing the Indian team on a more agile performance under fielding coach Abhay Sharma. Renewed focus.
In an over that included three fine pieces of fielding - two catches by Kaur and Deol, and a stumping by Richa Ghosh - India sent back two of England's set batsmen - Nat Sciver and Jones - and in-form Sophia Dunkley. After Kaur caught Sciver on the second ball of the 19th over to break the partnership of 78 runs in 42 balls, Deol made a breathtaking single attempt of his own from wide long-off boundary.
Catching Jones' powerful shot overhead inches inside the rope, Deol tosses the ball in the air before it is carried to the other side of the boundary. However, she recovered quickly and came back inside the rope, catching the ball in the air in time, diving forward, and then rolling sideways to complete a catch that has since earned praise from the opposition team and has gone viral. Gone. social media.
"Yeah, definitely [it's one of the best catches I've ever seen]," India T20I captain Kaur said on Saturday. "We are working a lot on our fielding department and I am really happy with the way we fielded yesterday. It is a great positive that I can see in the game. It was a good effort on his part. Credit to us All the goes to the support staff and our team members who are putting in the effort during our fielding session.
"Abhay sir," she said, "has been working with us for some time. The little difference we've seen in our fielding awareness - we were trying a lot earlier too - the little adjustments we've been making for each In player fielding, focusing on individual fielding sessions [has been quite advantageous].
“And something that I particularly like about his approach – looking at what areas a player needs to improve his fielding. Field placement and the work we are doing as a team We are getting more results day by day than that. It's a great positive."
Kaur, who herself took an impeccably timed forward-diving catch at long-on to remove a half-centurion Sciver, with the ball sinking at her, praised India's overall fielding and catching in the first T20I. India lost the match by 18 runs in the DLS method but Kaur said better fielding was a good sign for India's team.
Kaur said, “[An effort like this] helps in boosting the morale of the team because when you play a team sport, you need speed as a unit and that can come from any player. is." "Once I took that catch, it created an energy within the team and then Harleen also took a great catch. You have to put in extra effort to build that kind of energy.
"Our fielding was also very good throughout the game; we saved some runs in that effort and took some great catches. It's a good sign that we are showing improvement in our fielding."
He also lauded pacer Shikha Pandey, who delivered the 19th over for India and finished with 3 for 22, which was the team's best return in the night.
Kaur said, 'Shikha is the most experienced bowler in our team. “Every time the team needs to give her, she has risen to the occasion. I am glad that she is enjoying her bowling at the moment, bowling flawlessly the way she should be. This is a positive sign for us."
India's four-pronged spin attack, however, took only two wickets between them, conceding 117 runs in their combined 13 overs. Both Sciver and Jones scored heavily against him.
"As far as spin is concerned, sometimes while playing on a flat pitch, spinners bowl one or two boundary deliveries in an over," Kaur said. "So to cut the runs and support our bowlers then it falls on the fielding unit. It's just a matter of one or two balls that you need to focus more while delivering them. We as a team do that. Working on the aspect."
Player of the Match Sciver said after the game that in the lead-up to the multi-format series, England had done their "homework" to face wrist spinner Poonam Yadav, India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is. was. On Friday, Yadav picked 4-0-32-1, with opener Tammy Beaumont taking a catch in the ninth over. Moments after the wicket, however, Kaur, seemingly worried, is seen engaging in an animated conversation with Yadav.
Elaborating on the nature of Beaumont's post-wicket discussion, Kaur said, "Poonam is the wicket-taker for our team." "For us, it is very important that she supports her strength. If she is unable to do that and instead tries what other bowlers are doing, which can be beneficial for her, it is always her may not be useful.
"So, for us, it's important that she sticks to her strengths like giving the ball too many loops in the air, catching the ball, looking for turn. If she deviates from these aspects and bowls fast instead Or tries to do something extra, we don't get much benefit from this kind of delivery.
"What you said [about the discussion with Poonam after the wicket] - she tried two-three quick deliveries, tried to beat them at speed, which is not possible, because her strength is swinging the ball in the air. That's it. We want her to stay because it's not easy to face [when she bowls to her strength].
“As you mentioned, the opposition teams are practicing to play him better. In a way, it is also a positive thing for us that the opposition teams are working on the game plan of the specific players in our team. To Poonam My advice is that she doesn't give up on her strength because that's what got her to where she is today."
India next play England in the final match of their seven-match tour at Hove on Sunday. With the hosts leading 8-4 on points, and with only two T20Is left, Kaur, who was yet to score more than 20 on the tour, was hopeful that India's batting would be good as the visitors went on to win. want to get back on the road. .
Kaur said, 'Look, whenever we go on the field, victory remains our goal. "Yesterday also, our approach was based on winning. We were playing according to the DLS method. Unfortunately, we lost two-three wickets in a fall. Our approach in the next two games will also be based on winning. The wickets are really there. Good to bat. Fielding first a team can give 10-15 runs but you can cover it with your batting."