Could have applied ourselves a little bit better with the bat, says Amol Muzumdar

Brisbane (The Uttam Hindu): India head coach Amol Muzumdar believes the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side could have applied themselves better with the bat, which contributed to them being bowled out for 100 in 34.2 overs and losing to Australia by five wickets in the ODI series opener on Thursday.

“Yes, we are disappointed, as we were expecting some more runs, and it’s as simple as that. You saw that it wasn't a great pitch because in getting 100, they also lost five wickets. If we could have applied ourselves a little bit better with the bat, I think we could have got more runs. If we could have posted a little bit more in total on the board, you never know what happens in cricket,” said Muzumdar in the post-match press conference.

He also appreciated young leg-spinner Priya Mishra for her attacking bowling, which got her wickets of Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner. “I think the bowlers did a fantastic job, especially with some young bowlers are coming through. So, it's a good sign for Indian cricket. I think Priya Mishra is in her second series in international cricket, and she did well today, as well as against New Zealand.”

Muzumdar gave an insight into India’s preparations, saying the team didn’t get much time to come together due to players being involved in domestic T20 tournaments and WBBL in Australia. “So, looking on the preparatory point of view, we just came together as a squad just before we left, as we didn’t have too much time to prepare.”

“But we came here and had a couple of days of net practice. In fact, we had two net sessions outdoors - one was washed out. So, we had to settle down for the indoor facilities. But having said that, we are all geared up for the series. From the first game, the betterment would be if we can post a good total on the board.”

With India to host 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, Muzumdar revealed players will be tried in various bilateral series to zero on the best 15 playing in the mega event on home soil. “In these bilateral series, we would try and get a few players. In fact, Titas made her debut today, and Priya Mishra is in her second series. When somebody like Harleen is coming back into the middle order after a long lay-off, we are trying to stabilize the batting order as well as the bowling line-up.”

He signed off by acknowledging the backing from support staff members in preparing for various matches and revealed seam-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar is undergoing rehabilitation for injuries at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

“It's fantastic to have the support staff that I have at the moment, fully linked to the NCA. There is a lot of work that goes behind the scenes at the NCA. Then we get into the international calendar, and having Aavishkar Salvi as a bowling coach really has helped.”

“We have had a good support staff at the moment. Troy is an integral part of NCA. In fact, we met Troy a couple of days back, he was here in Brisbane. So, we are complete in sync with what the NCA is doing."