New Delhi, July 12: Indian women’s team is entering every match with an unquenchable thirst for victory and there will be no deviation from that set path during the highly-anticipated Asia Cup match against Pakistan later this month, reckoned captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The Indian women are high on confidence after beating South Africa in a three-match ODI series and in the one-off Test while drawing the T20I series 1-1 recently at home.
“The kind of approach we have right now, every day whenever we are going to play the matches, we are giving equal importance to all matches,” Kaur told Star Sports.
“We all are very greedy to win every game, and that is something we feel should be in a team, and this is what everyone in the team is feeling,” she added.
India’s next assignment is the Women’s Asia Cup, set to begin on July 19 in Sri Lanka, with Kaur and Co. opening their campaign against familiar foes Pakistan at Dambulla.
Kaur said it is her responsibility as a leader to calm her team’s nerves during such pressure games.
“When you play against Pakistan, there is a different atmosphere in both the countries. Both the countries want their team to win.
“As a player, there is a lot of pressure for us. But as a leader, it is my responsibility to make my team feel light in that environment, so that they don’t think that we are playing against Pakistan or it’s a pressure game,” she said.
India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the most sought after be it in men’s or women’s game. But for Kaur, it is imperative for her side to forget the outside noise and treat the match as any other game.
“It will be important for me to make everyone feel that this is also just another game. We have to do well for the team and make the team win.
“Other than thinking about what is going on in the stadium, who are the other people cheering for? Who are they talking about? Just focus on the main things. Don’t think about the things that we can’t control,” she added.
Middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues said the team is enthusiastic about its chances at the Women’s Asia Cup.
“The enthusiasm is really high, and that’s always been the scene. It’s a nice feeling, but more than that, it’s very inspiring to know that every time we walk out on the field, we know we have the support of every single person backing us.
“It’s just about how well we prepare rather than thinking too much ahead of ourselves. About the results, it’s always about preparation. “We know if we prepare well, we are going to go out there and do well,” she added. (PTI)
