India’s pace spearhead Shikha Pandey admitted that India were outplayed by Australia in every department in the Women’s T20 World Cup final on Sunday. They were unbeaten throughout the tournament but faced a massive 85-run thrashing by the defending champions and the hosts at the MCG.

“Nerves weren’t really a factor. Once you get onto the field, you just zone out. I don’t think I felt nerves,” Pandey told the ICC website. “Initially, if you gift chances to batters in form they’re going to use them. It could have gone either way but those chances costed us. We could have been better in all three departments, it wasn’t just the fielding.”

“You do have plans against a batter like her, but the kind of shots she played were amazing. Sometimes you can just stand and acknowledge, and appreciate the shots she was playing. It was one of those days when I was on the receiving end,” she again added.

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Shikha Pandey was hit for three boundaries from her first 12 overs delivered in the tournament but gave away 52 runs in the final where Alyssa Healy was the main damager. However, she praised Alyssa Healy for her free-flowing batting and also said despite their defeat in the final, they got the chance to meet tennis star and sporting icon Billie Jean King after the trophy presentation which is really big to all of them.

“It’s huge to meet people like Billie Jean King in person. I was privileged to be part of the event although it’s disappointing to be on the wrong end of the result. It’s an honour to meet someone who has done so much for women’s sport in general and is working for equal opportunities. Just to meet her in person is a good thing. She said we were unlucky to have lost and to keep working hard,” Shikha Pandey said.