India batsman Jemimah Rodrigues on Thursday said the team was focused on improving their fielding ahead of the three-match women’s T20I series against South Africa, terming the department a “game changer”.
“The plan across the three departments is clear. Defence is a game-changing department so we are working on getting better at it,” she said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the opening T20I against the Proteas in Chennai on Friday.
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The 23-year-old took a diving catch to get out Delmi Thakkar in the second innings of the Test match against South Africa and was praised for her fielding efforts.
She praised coach Amol Muzumdar for his fitness and no-nonsense approach to defence.
“Ever since coach Amol came, we’ve been hearing the same thing at every team meeting – fitness and defense are non-negotiable and that’s what we’ve been working on specifically,” she said.
“During the camp (at the NCA), we had a fitness session at 7am and then a fielding session in the evening.
“Defensively, the Indian women’s cricket team has set a high standard and we will continue to do our best to maintain it. If you work hard, the results will come.”
The three-match T20I series will be India’s final preparation before the Asia Cup (T20) and the T20 World Cup.
Jemimah also said the experience she gained in the Women’s Premier League would serve her well at the World Cup.
“The best thing about our team is that we are a stable team that has been together for a long time and has played a lot of games together. Also, we have experience in the WPL, which is a plus,” she added.
“The inaugural WPL (in 2023) had a fairly inexperienced women’s team but this year’s WPL will see them playing on a low, crooked pitch in Delhi, similar to Bangladesh, which will give the women a lot of confidence going into the World Cup.”
The Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from October 3 to 20.
Chepak’s wicket will be noteworthy given the excellent performances in the Test, with both teams scoring over 600 runs.
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Jemimah said India have a clear plan for the T20I series here. India recently won the one-off Test by scoring over 600 in the first innings and beating South Africa by 10 wickets.
“Who said Chennai is not a good scorer? We got 500 on the first day of the Test. That says a lot about the wicket here. We will assess the situation and work from there. Looking at the pitch today, it felt like a perfect wicket to bat on. But you won’t know until the ball is bowled,” she said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed (PTI)
First revealed: 05 July 2024 10:36 IST