India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has lauded the star duo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh after they helped India to an emphatic win on Sunday at the Newlands in Cape Town. The seven-wicket win saw India start the T20 World Cup campaign on a high as they look to go one better than the 2020 edition, where they finished runners-up to Australia.
Skipper full of praise for star duo
"Pakistan batted well but at the end of the day we wanted to win the game. Jemimah and Richa batted really well," said India captain Harmanpreet Kaur in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh struck an unbeaten partnership of 58 runs for the fourth wicket after the fall of captain Harmanpreet Kaur's wicket. Rodrigues scored an unbeaten 53 off 38 balls and Richa Ghosh scored an unbeaten 31 off 20 balls helping India chase down a 150-run target with an over to spare.
The Indian team was dealt with a severe blow as Smriti Mandhana could not play due to a finger injury. Pooja Vastrakar had to open with Shafali Verma but despite the vice-captain's absence the Indian women's team went on to register a win.
"All the players are keen to do well for the team. Whoever is getting an opportunity is pushing themselves. Good sign for us," said Harmanpreet Kaur.
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After winning the pressure match against Pakistan the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will now face West Indies in their next match on Wednesday.
"Every match is important, no matter the opponent, but obviously Pakistan is a big game. The crowd was good. We'll love to have some time in the nets. We want to work on a few things," said Harmanpreet Kaur.
Other than Pakistan India have West Indies, England and Ireland in their group. With only two teams from each group making it to the semi-final the win against Pakistan has made the road ahead for Harmanpreet Kaur's led side much smoother.
