India’s bid for a maiden 50-over ICC Women’s World Cup title began on a winning note, as they defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs (DLS method) in Guwahati. The victory, however, came after a nervy middle passage where the hosts slipped from a comfortable start to 124/6 in the 27th over, losing four wickets for just four runs.
The collapse brought young seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur to the crease, and she joined hands with Deepti Sharma to revive India’s innings. The duo showcased the side’s batting depth, stitching together a crucial 103-run stand that proved decisive in setting up India’s first victory of the tournament.
Amanjot, who top-scored with 57 off 56 deliveries, brushed aside any talk of nerves when she walked in at a precarious stage. Asked about the conversations in the dressing room when the team ran into trouble, Amanjot tackled the question brilliantly saying, “You can’t say India was in trouble, I was yet to bat! One must not jump to conclusions quickly. The 50-over format is a long game, so there are chances of the first 10 overs not going in our favour, but the next 10 do. We’re taking it one game at a time. We did well on Day 1 and won, and we’ve to do well the next 8 days and hopefully we do.”
She emphasised that winning the match was more important than her individual performances, saying, “I’m not focused on my individual performance. Whether I make 10 runs or 20, ultimately India must win. That’s what we play for. We play so that the team wins. My cramps will last a day, I’ll be fine, but India winning the match is more important.”
“I knew that Deepti was with me. We can make a long partnership. I wanted to stay on the wicket. The wicket was a little sticky, it was holding, it was moving, so as long as we played, we knew that we could get a decent total for India, and we did just that,” she told reporters after the game.
“I rarely get a chance to bat. I got the chance today, and I enjoyed it when I batted, and I’m sure Deepti was also very happy to bat. If I had played slowly and gotten out, then you would say I wasted so many balls and didn’t get any runs. That is how cricket is. At least that ball will not be spoiled for the next person. Because ultimately, you have to put up some score on the scoreboard to defend,” she added.
With the opening hurdle cleared, India now shift their focus to a much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday.
“We’re going to take this game by game,” Amanjot said.
“We did well on Day 1 and won, and we’ve to do well the next 8 days and hopefully we do,” she added.
Amanjot further stated that the time she spent in rehab helped her shape her mindset and approach the game better, adding that her comeback to India’s World Cup squad was only possible because of the break.
“There’s a saying, a wounded lion takes a step back to take a long leap. You guys will make me famous for my one-liners (laughs). So yeah, that’s what happened. I wasn’t injured as such, but I realised that my body needs rest, so I come off fresh for the World Cup. I discussed with the coaches, and we did some scans. I told them that I didn’t feel like I was bowling well because I did not want to give 80-90 per cent to the team. It’s either giving my 100 per cent or nothing.
“I didn’t want to hang in the middle. So, I told my coaches that if they were considering my selection for the World Cup, then my body needed rest, because I didn’t want to be fatigued heading into the tournament. I’m only valuable for my team if I contribute altogether, score runs, bowl well, and save runs while fielding like a proper all-rounder. Or else anyone could have taken my place,” she said.
For Sri Lanka, there were positives despite the defeat. Left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, who returned impressive figures of 4/46 in her nine overs, said the team would take confidence into their next assignment.
“I think as a team, there were a lot of good things that happened,” Ranaweera reflected.
“If we take bowling, we did bowl first, and also in batting, we had a good partnership in batting as well. That’s something positive when we are moving forward,” she added.
Sri Lanka will face reigning champions Australia in Colombo on Saturday, hoping to bounce back strongly.