India vs Australia, 3rd T20I: Harmanpreet’s struggles, Healy’s intent stand in contrast as India go down 1-2 in series

In a Channel 7 video that went viral on social media recently, Ricky Ponting speaks about the art of batting (specific to Test cricket but applicable overall too).

“As a batter, you have to make a lot of decisions in less than half a second. Play it or leave it? Front foot or back foot? Attack or defend?” the legendary Aussie captain explained.

Any one of those decisions goes wrong and it could end up bringing a batter’s downfall.

Over the past couple of weeks, Harmanpreet Kaur has seemingly struggled to do just that while batting: make the right decisions in quick time. One of the fiercest strikers of the ball in the women’s game, her hands, eyes and mind are seemingly pulling in different directions. And the result is evident on the scorecards as she registered scores of 0 (one-off Test), 9, 5 and 3 (ODIs), 6 and 3 (T20Is) against Australia. It isn’t just the lack of runs, but the lack of fluidity in her brief stays in the middle that’s worrisome.

Australia clinch the #IDFCFirstBankT20ITrophy with a 7-wicket win in the decider 👏👏#JioCinemaSports #INDvAUS #JioCinema #Sports18 pic.twitter.com/uJ3AcIlygN

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On the other hand, Australia’s captain Alyssa Healy – herself not in the best of form given her high standards in white-ball cricket – backed her instincts. Even after Australia were bowled out for 141 in the opening match of the T20I series, she had no hesitation in saying she wanted her side to continue playing aggressive cricket while adapting to the conditions, even if it meant the risk of finishing below par.

It was that intent and aggression that saw her notch up a match-winning 38-ball 55 in the series decider in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. The world champions, led well by Healy on the field and with the bat, clinched the series 2-1 with another dominant performance, defeating India by 7 wickets while overhauling a score of 147.

Middle-order wobble

Asked to bat first again at a venue where chasing has been easier, India were off to a better start. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana didn’t middle everything they tried but the intent was better, as they tried to find boundaries at regular intervals. But from 60/1 in the 8th over, the hosts slipped to 66/4 in the 10th. With the top three back in the dugout, Harmanpreet walked into a tricky situation once again. But it was another tentative stay for her in the middle, getting out for a 6-ball 3 after inside edging an off-cutter from Annabel Sutherland.

Speaking before the series, the Indian captain had said that she was feeling in good touch but was getting out in unfortunate manners. The sweep shot, usually her bread and butter, has deserted her during this lean patch but it also has personified how premeditated her batting has been instead of reacting to situations. She’s not usually a fast starter but has sometimes erred on the side of being far too defensive and safe in an attempt to get her eye in.

How to finish an innings in style ft. Pooja Vastrakar 😎

Can #TeamIndia defend 147 & clinch the #IDFCFirstBankT20ITrophy? Watch #INDvAUS – LIVE NOW only on #JioCinema & #Sports18 👈#JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/rCxZxu6a9C

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) January 9, 2024

“What she needs to do is strike a balance between intensity and composure. As long as she is composed and looks to play around the ground, she will do well,” former coach WV Raman said on air as she shuffled far too across to cramp herself and get bowled.

Healy takes it away

The middle-overs collapse held India back once again but thanks to Richa Ghosh and a few handy hits from Amanjot Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar, the hosts reached 147/6.

A stellar start from the visitors as skipper Healy notches a half-century.

Watch the final T20I of the #IDFCFirstBankT20ITrophy – LIVE NOW only on #JioCinema & #Sports18 👈#JioCinemaSports #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/FKV1I7sOfc

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But in the run-chase, Healy showed why she is one of the most destructive openers in the game as she recognised the need to get ahead of the required rate early. The quicker the chase was down to a-run-a-ball the better it was, and so she took off in the Powerplay against Titas Sadhu and her nemesis Renuka Singh Thakur. In the space of two overs, Healy smashed five fours and a six to race to 32 off 20 balls. She identified her strong areas – down the ground and off her hips through midwicket – and took charge.

From there on, it was a matter of just pacing the rest of the chase as Beth Mooney anchored the innings, seeing it through with the impressive Phoebe Litchfield.

Where do India go from here?

As of now, India don’t play another international fixture for at least 7 more months. With a T20 World Cup coming up in September, it is not an ideal situation to be in with so much work left to do. Even if many of the current squad do well in the Women’s Premier League, the gap in the scherdule is too significant.

2 in 2 for @Vastrakarp25 ⚡️⚡️

And the packed DY Patil stadium, with over 43,000 in attendance, erupts with joy 🏟️🙌

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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) January 9, 2024

“Till the WPL there is clarity, but beyond that, we need to structure it properly. I am sure it will happen from the BCCI, keeping the T20 World Cup in mind, we will structure the upcoming series in that fashion,” head coach Amol Muzumdar said after the series defeat.

All said and done, there are plenty of areas of address for this Indian side, as England and Australia have made it abundantly clear that even in supposedly favourable home conditions, they are ahead of the curve.

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