When Amol Muzumdar took cost as the pinnacle coach of India’s girls’s cricket group 9 months in the past, he made it clear that there can be no compromises on health and fielding.
To date, the seasoned coach has walked the discuss by specializing in the health and fielding features of the group, and issues have been no completely different main as much as the T20 World Cup as properly.
Over the previous couple of weeks, the group had intensive periods on the Nationwide Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, the place the main focus was largely on these two areas. After India’s defeat to Sri Lanka within the last of the ladies’s Asia Cup in July, the group administration did ‘establish a sure issues’ that have been addressed through the camp.
“We did establish a couple of issues and we went about it within the subsequent camps which adopted the Asia Cup. We had a health camp which occurred on the NCA. Health and fielding camps have been particularly carried out for these two areas, the place the abilities weren’t touched,” Muzumdar mentioned on Tuesday, forward of the group’s departure to the UAE for the event, starting October 4.
“However later, we had a 10-day talent camp, the place the main focus was solely on abilities and we performed matches. So, we recognized sure issues and tried to ship (within the camp)…”
In the course of the health camps, there have been yoga periods and the gamers additionally had one-on-one periods with sports activities psychologist Dr. Mugdha Bavare. Up to now, Bavare labored with the Indian group, and going forward, the group administration, too, needs to focus extra on the psychological features. “After the Asia Cup finals, we sat collectively as a group and we recognized a couple of issues. So, after we had a camp devoted to health and fielding, the place we didn’t contact the abilities, we tried to introduce the psychologist. And that’s an space the place we want to faucet into,” Muzumdar mentioned, including: “I used to be fairly proud of the outcomes, what we had by the tip of the camp. She (Bavare) was with us and he or she’s been unbelievable with the group and he or she continues to be there…”
Even captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who labored with Bavare prior to now, agreed. “Whenever you discuss personally, you already know what you’re speaking about and the areas you wish to give attention to. However with regards to the group, it will be important that everybody opens up in order that we are able to work collectively and assist the participant as wanted. We had a couple of periods the place we talked to one another about how we have been feeling and the way we wished to go about it,” Harmanpreet mentioned.
“Together with her (Bavare) assist, there have been quite a lot of periods after which we felt properly after which after executing it on the bottom, we felt even higher. She’s actually working exhausting and serving to us…”
This yr, the group misplaced the house T20I collection towards Australia, earlier than defeating Bangladesh 5-0 in an away collection in April-Could. Whereas it received the ODIs towards South Africa in June, adopted by the lone Check, the T20I collection was drawn at 1-1.
The group hasn’t had sport time because the Asia Cup in July, nonetheless, the coach isn’t pondering an excessive amount of about it. “Should you ask for sport time, we have now ticked that field. And, we performed some very aggressive video games. There have been completely different oppositions, there have been completely different talent units that have been chosen for these specific video games. So so far as sport time is anxious, I feel we’re on it,” Muzumdar mentioned.
FILE PHOTO: Head coach of India Ladies’s cricket group Amol Muzumdar with Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues.
| Picture Credit score:
JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/The Hindu
FILE PHOTO: Head coach of India Ladies’s cricket group Amol Muzumdar with Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues.
| Picture Credit score:
JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/The Hindu
“So far as preparations are involved, we’re completely ready for something and every little thing. All I can say is that we’re able to fly into Dubai,” the coach added with a smile.
The captain, too, echoed related sentiments. “For us, preparation issues so much. We wish to win the World Cup and we’re on the lookout for optimistic outcomes. However on the identical time, course of issues so much and within the final couple of weeks, we actually labored exhausting and are wanting ahead to this,” Harmanpreet mentioned.
The coach and the captain additionally made it clear that the event being shifted to the UAE from Bangladesh received’t have a bearing on the group’s efficiency. “It got here as a shock for everybody. We had particularly gone to Bangladesh in Could and performed 5 T20Is to get used to circumstances. However issues have modified and it has shifted to Dubai. I feel circumstances can be just like what we’re over right here in India,” Muzumdar mentioned. “However I feel simply at the beginning of the season, what my expertise was within the IPL in 2020, there can be slightly little bit of bounce on the surfaces in Dubai particularly. However relaxation over the circumstances, they continue to be the identical, similar to India…”
Whereas Australia, the defending champion, would be the prime contenders for one more title, the Indian group is prepared for the problem. “Look, their group is sweet, little question about that. And we additionally know one factor that India is without doubt one of the groups, which may go actually exhausting on them,” Harmanpreet mentioned.
“That could be a actually optimistic signal. We all know that at any time when we’re taking part in towards them and if we play our greatest cricket, we are able to beat them any day and any time. And I feel they’ve been profitable the title for therefore a few years. And it’s an awesome alternative for us when a group who has been dominating cricket for therefore a few years. They know that that is the one group which is actually good they usually can beat us. I feel that that’s the optimistic,” the captain mentioned, including: “We simply wish to play good cricket and be in that body…”
India will start its marketing campaign towards New Zealand on October 4, adopted by the conflict towards Pakistan three days later. It is going to play towards Australia on October 13 in Sharjah.