Home World Cup brings pressure, but India well-equipped to handle it: Amol Muzumdar

India Today

India coach Amol Muzumdar has backed his side and said they're well-equipped to handle the pressure of playing in a home World Cup ahead of the crucial tie against New Zealand. India need a win to qualify for the semi-finals.

Transcript

00:00Hi.

00:01This is Ranjan from News 7, Bengaluru.

00:03Sir, my question will be, you know, last consecutive three matches India lost this.

00:09So again, you know, last match in Indore, we are saying that, you know, even after this

00:19they lost totally the way even that, you know, they lost their mindset, we feel.

00:25So what sort of mindset again going to come for tomorrow's match?

00:28I think if you see the last three games, to be very honest, we were not able to finish

00:33things off.

00:34Yes.

00:35Finishes were the problem.

00:36Yes.

00:37Right.

00:38Okay.

00:39Yeah, we accept, you know, that we were not able to finish it.

00:42We have had a very nice discussion about it with the team and hopefully, you know, going

00:48forward, we could finish the job and finish the games off.

00:52We always reiterate within the team that it's important to start well.

00:58But it's even important to finish better.

01:01So I think we've had that discussion and hopefully going forward we will.

01:05I know we spoke about, you know, not having a six bowling option and then you course corrected

01:16obviously in the last game, but dropping the probably the best player of spin in the top

01:23five.

01:24Do you think it was a bit of a over correction from the team?

01:27Why that batter had to be Jemi if you could just shed some light on that?

01:32Well, look, to be fair, Jemi has been a very important player, an integral part of this

01:40side, what we have built.

01:42And sometimes you just have to take those tough calls.

01:48You know, we have decided as a team that we would go match by match.

01:53And on that basis, if that game particularly against England required the sixth bowling option,

02:00given the given the ground of Indore and the conditions over there, we thought six bowling

02:07options would would be a better call on that particular day and for that particular match.

02:12Tough.

02:13It was a tough call.

02:14There's no doubt about it.

02:15One of the toughest decisions, but sometimes tough calls do need to be taken.

02:20Coach, heading into the last two matches, you're here at this venue where you've played

02:28a lot before.

02:29So as compared to the other venues where you hadn't played as much cricket, is that an advantage

02:33for you knowing the conditions, the size of the boundaries here as compared to the other

02:38venues across India where you've played so far?

02:40Of course, coming to this ground in Navi Mumbai, Divaipatul Stadium holds a very good place

02:46in the heart of the entire team.

02:48We have had a couple of camps also here.

02:50So, you know, it gives a good vibe.

02:54Hopefully, it will, you know, give us the desired results.

03:00Thank you very much.

03:01Hi, Amul.

03:02Hi.

03:03Just taking from the first question, you know.

03:06So, it's been about the pressure moments for India, you know, be it with the bat or the

03:10ball.

03:11Take, for example, a youngster like Kranti Goode coming and bowling the last ten.

03:15It's going to be very hard on her, obviously, you know, to not to leak a lot of runs and

03:21to, you know, just stay in the pressure.

03:23What kind of conversations are being had with someone like her or the other youngsters in

03:27the team?

03:28You know, sort of how they prepare for such big matches, especially on the big stage and

03:33considering the last three matches have come against like top teams.

03:35Look, I mean, considering just particularly about Kranti Goode, yes, she's had not much

03:44of experience in international cricket, but that's the stage we are in.

03:48She just made her debut, what, probably in the month of May, but she's been the spearhead

03:55of the fast bowlers in the team and we are extremely proud of what she's done in the last

04:01five months or so and hopefully she continues.

04:05I mean, we've had several discussions, I mean, we've not left any stone unturned with regards

04:13to discussion and taking the load off her.

04:17We work as a group, as a bowling group, and we work as a batting group as well.

04:21So I think, you know, as far as I'm concerned, from the coaching side, we've prepared thoroughly.

04:28Next, please.

04:29Hi.

04:30Hi.

04:31Hi.

04:32Sir, what was the psychological pressure on somebody playing in a home World Cup?

04:35You know, they're expected to win and now they're also having to go all the cities, everything

04:40is being provided.

04:41So, you know, the team has not played.

04:43So, that pressure adds up.

04:45Well, look, I think a home World Cup, of course, you know, there has to be some kind of pressure,

04:53but this side, this particular side is well-equipped to handle that.

04:58We've got the liberty of having some experienced players as well as some youngsters coming through.

05:06So, we've built a side around it and I think all the players are well-equipped to handle pressure.

05:14And, you know, we just go match by match.

05:18Of course, the last three games haven't been in our favour, but, you know, hopefully the

05:23next few go in.

05:25Go on, I can hear him.

05:32The last three matches may not have gone in the team's favour and the pressure has obviously

05:36added up.

05:37How much do you think it has kind of put more on the top order which needs to kind of bat

05:41through?

05:42Something that we got to see in Indore where Smitty felt that if she had stayed long enough

05:46to finish off the game, probably that.

05:49And just touching upon the fact that No. 3, Harleen, she has batted good enough in the five

05:54matches so far.

05:55She's been in double digits both.

05:56But yet a 50 is missing and somewhere you expect your top order batters to like make it

06:01big when they are in the middle and when their eyes settled in.

06:05How much conversations have happened around that because you said that you have had deep

06:10discussions about with both the batting and bowling groups?

06:15We are well aware that a three-figure mark hasn't come this World Cup.

06:21But if you look at the past year and a half, the 18 months that have passed before the

06:26World Cup, we have had definitely a lot of hundreds that we have seen than ever before,

06:33I guess.

06:34So, I think, yes, the three-figure mark has not been reached.

06:39I don't think there is a lot of load on anyone.

06:43But it's just honest, we have had honest discussions about it and the players also have been honest

06:50that yes, we could have, you know, instead of a 50, we could have converted that into a

06:56100.

06:57They are aware of it and I am hopeful that it will come in the next couple of games.

07:02Coach, sorry, yeah, regards to Deepti Sharma, she's been having a World Cup of her career probably.

07:09She's been, it's the third World Cup, she's the leading wicket-taker and the way she's batted.

07:14Could you talk about the work she has done behind the scenes in terms of run-a-ball strike rate and

07:20everything, what we have seen so far with her?

07:23I think Deepti Sharma, I've always maintained, is one of the pillars of this team, what we

07:30have built on.

07:31She's a fantastic all-rounder, I think one of the best in the world.

07:36You know, whether it's, we can start from fielding actually, whether it's fielding, you

07:42know, whether it's bowling or batting and being the senior-most of the bowling group, she's been

07:52a pillar and a fantastic competitor.

07:57She likes competition, she likes games and I think she loves pressure inside.

08:02So, we're very delighted that Deepti is an integral part of this team.

08:07What has she done within this team?

08:10Well, her work ethics are second to none.

08:14Really good work ethics, you know, like a senior pro, you know, she works and operates

08:20like a senior professional, thorough professional to the core, you know, whether it is fielding,

08:27batting, bowling, she does her job every time she steps on the ground, whether it is practice

08:32sessions or the match, she just steps up and does her work very diligently.

08:41You want some water?

08:46Hi Amol, just over the last few matches we have seen that in the middle overs things are slightly,

08:53in terms of batting, you know, slowed down a bit.

08:56Is that a concern?

08:57Of course the fact that, you know, with Richa Ghosh, obviously she has been playing the role

09:02of a finisher.

09:03But do you think that there is slightly a bit of overlines on her and like you said,

09:07the players have had an honest discussion and they want to convert the 50s into the 100s.

09:11But do you think that that's also the area that you need, I mean, need to perhaps address

09:15these two must win games, like, you know, to take the pressure slightly off Richa because

09:19it's becoming a one that she'll win the matches, like, after all.

09:23No, I'm saying Richa the role of a finisher, she is a designated finisher for sure but do

09:28you think that the people around her should also step up in these two must win matches and

09:33what's the discussion?

09:34Yeah, of course, I mean, as a batting group we've done, you know, all the discussions about

09:40it that obviously we need to get into a certain stage where we can, you know, have that kind

09:49of a liberty for Richa to go out there and play her shots.

09:54Yeah, I mean, if you ask me, we haven't converted those 50s into 100s which we have been doing

10:03just before this World Cup.

10:06And again, you know, I'll say hopefully it all turns up in these two games.

10:12Amul, honestly, how has Harman, in your views, captained in this World Cup, her first ODI

10:19World Cup as a captain?

10:20And is the pressures of captaining in the home World Cup caught on to her and that in turn

10:25has not allowed her to score freely like she would otherwise?

10:30I don't think it is about any kind of pressure.

10:34She's been leading fantastically.

10:38You know, if you can see the record that she's had in the bilateral before this World Cup

10:45has been fantastic in the last two years or so.

10:50Yeah, she got into her groove last game, could have converted that.

10:56But again, you know, we come back to the same thing that if at all that could have been converted

11:03100, it would have been ideal.

11:06But knowing Harman, she's put in the hard yards and hopefully it all clicks in the next couple of games.

11:14Yeah, Amul, you said I'm good.

11:18Yeah, you said it was a tough call on Jemima.

11:21Considering that she counts as a pure batter in the top three after Smitty and Harman.

11:28And also probably the Westfield, how difficult was it to drop her and how did she take it?

11:33And what are the chances of her coming back into the team tomorrow?

11:38As I said earlier, you know, it was one of the tough calls.

11:43Because given the circumstances, given the conditions in Indoor, we opted for the sixth bowling option.

11:50And, you know, that's why, you know, one of the batter had to sit out, just looking at that combination.

12:00But it was a tough call.

12:01She took it really, you know, very, very nicely as what, you know, Jemima is all about.

12:06She's a fantastic, you know, within the group, superb role model for everyone in the team.

12:17She took it really nicely and very sportingly.

12:20I appreciate that.

12:22And as I said earlier, you know, we go by match-by-match basis.

12:27The conditions in Indoor were different.

12:30The conditions here in Navi Mumbai are different.

12:34And we'll have a good discussion in the evening and we'll take a fair call on what we want to do.

12:42You know, hopefully, or maybe the combination would be different.

12:47Hi, Coach.

12:52There have been some criticism around Pratika, Rawal, and Harleen.

12:56They all strike rate, especially after the first, then, due to their inability to rotate the strike.

13:00So what sort of conversations have you been having with them?

13:03Strike rate?

13:04Yeah.

13:05For Harleen and Pratika Rawal after the first, then, due to their inability to rotate the strike.

13:10So what sort of conversations have you been having with them?

13:13I mean, if you look at Pratika Rawal's progression from the last December when she's made her debut in international cricket,

13:20she, I think, if I'm not wrong, she averages around 50 and her strike rate is around 82-83, if I'm not wrong.

13:29I think that's fantastic.

13:33And we would like her to continue the way she bats.

13:37And the entire team is behind her and Harleen as well.

13:43And, you know, I don't think any discussion has happened over on that particular subject.

13:50But it is just that, you know, I don't know why this is coming up, but she's been fantastic with the group.

13:59You know, she's taken to international cricket as fish to water.

14:02So, you know, we back her whole lottery.

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