A disheartened Amol Muzumdar, head coach of the Indian women’s cricket team, expressed his disappointment over missed opportunities that could have significantly changed the outcome of their must-win match against Australia in the women’s T20 World Cup. The team’s hopes of reaching the semifinals were dashed after a nine-run defeat to the defending champions, a result that left Muzumdar and his squad reflecting on their performance.
“I think we were right in the game until the last over. The experience of Australia ultimately saw them through,” Amol Muzumdar stated during the post-match press conference. “It’s just a bit disappointing to lose, especially considering we fielded well overall. However, we did miss a couple of crucial chances that could have made a difference.”
The Indian team struggled with their catching, dropping three catches and missing a critical stumping opportunity. Their misfortunes were compounded by a contentious leg-before-wicket (lbw) decision. In the 17th over of Australia’s innings, Phoebe Litchfield, who was batting on five, attempted a reverse sweep and was given out lbw by the on-field umpire after missing the shot.
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The Australian side opted for a review, which overturned the decision due to the ball pitching outside leg stump. This decision raised eyebrows among the Indian players, particularly vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who argued that the ball’s pitch should not be deemed irrelevant, given that Litchfield had switched her stance. Litchfield capitalized on her second chance, adding 10 vital runs that helped Australia post a total of 151 runs for the loss of eight wickets—the highest team total at Sharjah in the tournament so far.
Reflecting on that crucial moment, Amol Muzumdar noted, “What I gathered from that non-dismissal is that she didn’t move before the ball was released. So, the leg mark remained as it was. Whether it was out or not was up to the umpires or the third umpire to decide. It was certainly a critical point in the match.”
In reply, India struggled and ultimately fell short, finishing their innings at 142 for 9, despite an unbeaten 54 from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. At one point, with senior players Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma at the crease, India needed 85 runs from the last 10 overs to clinch victory.
When asked what message he conveyed to the duo during that tense moment, Muzumdar emphasized the importance of focusing on the run chase while also considering the net run rate. “The main message was to take it a little deeper. If we did that, we would have a good chance to chase these runs down,” he explained.
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Despite the loss, India’s hopes of advancing to the semifinals still hinge on Pakistan’s performance against New Zealand. “I just want to wish Pakistan all the best. That’s all I can say,” Muzumdar remarked, acknowledging that the team would be watching the match closely.
