Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Harmanpreet rues the trend of mistakes in the big final, as India settle for silver at CWG

“We don’t do these mistakes in the league phase or in bilateral.

Harmanpreet rues the trend of mistakes in the big final, as India settle for silver at CWG

Heartbroken after a gold medal slipped out of their hands, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur harped on the need to stop repeating the same mistakes in 'title clashes', saying the "mental block" has to be broken, going forward.

The Indian team came to close winning coveted gold on women's cricket's CWG debut but fell short by nine runs after being in a dominant position against mighty Australia.


It was deja vu for Harmanpreet and Co. who had suffered a similar inexplicable batting collapse during the T20 World Cup finals defeat against Australia in 2020 and the 2017 ODI World Cup final in England.

"Every time in big finals, we make the same mistakes again and again (with the bat), that is something we have to improve," Harmanpreet said after the match on Sunday.

"We don't do these mistakes in the league phase or in bilateral. That is blocking our mind somewhere," the skipper added

With 50 needed off the last six overs with eight wickets in hand, India seemed to be on course to title triumph but lost the last five wickets for 13 runs owing to some poor shot selections

Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues strung a 96-run partnership but both ended up playing some poor shots to make their way back to the dugout

"I am someone who is always looking for one more batter in the side. Unfortunately, we're working on that. Once we get that, this thing [collapsing] will go away."

"After losing two crucial wickets, the way Jemi (Jemimah Rodrigues) and I batted was much needed at that time. You need to hold your nerves. We were nearly there."

"Maybe if Pooja (Vastrakar) or I were around, we could've won the game. But that is part of the game; sometimes some things you can't control. It is great learning for us," she added

Although India ended on the losing side in the summit clash, Harmanpreet is "happy and satisfied" with her side's CWG campaign

"I know we were close to winning gold, but all around our performance was great. This is the first time we got to play in this tournament and we're happy to have won a silver medal

"A medal is something people back home will get inspired from and they could start playing cricket. As a team, we want to inspire young girls. Doing well on this platform will motivate a lot of people back home."

All-rounder Tahlia McGrath was a part of the Australian playing XI despite testing positive for COVID-19

"They informed us before the toss. That was something not in our control. The CWG had to take a decision and we were okay with it since she wasn't very ill, so we decided to play. We had to show sportsman spirit.

"I'm happy we didn't say no to Tahlia, it (missing the final) would've been very hard-hitting for her."

India put up a spirited fielding display that helped them restrict Australia 161 for 8

"If you want to beat this Australian team, you have to field well. If you give them easy runs, they can easily take the game away. We discussed it in the team meeting and Radha (Yadav) set the example for us

"The effort we put up today is something we wanted to do. I know the last 2-3 overs [in the chase] were not in our favour but throughout the game, the way we played was outstanding to watch."

"We've been working on our fielding for a long time. I'm happy with the way we fielded today. That is something we wanted to do as a team," Harmanpreet said.

More For You

Milton-Keynes

Eyewitnesses described hearing shouting before the shooting

iStock

Man shot dead by police outside Milton Keynes railway station

A MAN was shot dead by police outside Milton Keynes Central station after reports that he was carrying a firearm.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) said officers were called to the station at 12:55, where they challenged a suspect carrying a knife. The man moved towards officers before police fired at him.

Keep ReadingShow less
EXCLUSIVE: Eastern Eye wins press freedoms to help judges

SCRUTINY: The tribunal’s favourable verdict is an important win for accountability, say current and retired Asian judges (Pic credit: Getty Images/Leon Neal)

EXCLUSIVE: Eastern Eye wins press freedoms to help judges

A tribunal has ordered the body which appoints judges in England and Wales to disclose records it refused to give to Eastern Eye.

The decision is a major victory for press freedoms because it forces the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to become more open and transparent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunita-Williams-Reuters

Sunita Williams was part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission and had been stranded in space for over nine months. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters)

India looks amazing from space, says Sunita Williams

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams described India as "amazing" from space and expressed her intention to visit her "father's home country" to share her experiences on space exploration.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, she responded to a question about how India appeared from space and the possibility of collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less