Women’s World Cup 2022 | Didn’t have batter who can take the game deep, says Mithali Raj

India lost their second game of the Women’s World Cup 2022 against New Zealand by 62 runs. India were chasing a target of 261 but they lacked the positive intent required to chase the decent total from the start. India lost two early wickets for a total of 126. 

Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj tried to build a partnership but Raj was dismissed on 31 runs. The asking run rate increased continuously and the pressure on batters to score runs quickly got better of them. The team was bundled out on 198 and Harmanpreet Kaur was the sole player who played a vital knock of 71 runs. 

Reflecting on the loss, team leader Mithali said that the team lacked a batter to take the game deep. She also mentioned that the top and middle order needs to fire. 

"Our batting, especially the top and middle order needs to fire because other teams are posting 250-260. We thought it was chaseable but provided we had the top order going. But back-to-back wickets put a lot of pressure because we didn't have batter who can take it deep,” Raj said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

"There was bounce and good carry off the surface but it was not a tough strip to bat on. Their seamers were hitting the right areas with the bounce, but it wasn't unplayable and we could have done better.”

However, the team will be happy with the performance of their bowlers. The White Ferns were heading for a huge total at one point of time but they were restricted to 260/9 and the credit for the same goes to Jhulan Goswami and Pooja Vastrakar both of them bowled brilliantly in death overs. Mithali expressed satisfaction over the bowler’s performance. 

"Our bowlers have done well today and earlier as well. After the early wickets we got, the way they had a partnership I thought they'd get around 270-280. There was bounce and it got slower in the second innings," she stated.

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine said that she is happy with the way bowlers bowled against Indian batters.

"Our bowlers were outstanding, didn't give them anything. We have different people putting their hand up in different phases of the game, that's what we want in the World Cup,” she opined.

"The girls were outstanding today, they had the pressure on them to make sure they stood up, (Frances) Mackay (off spinner) was outstanding as well. (Lea) Tahuhu in the middle overs was certainly a role we saw her play last year in the UK."