India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has said that the track at the Dubai International Stadium has been a little difficult to bat on, but she and her team would need to back themselves to push them towards a record eighth Asia Cup title.
India entered the tournament with questions over their overall batting form and sloppy fielding. While Shafali Verma’s form and Smriti Mandhana’s hundred two games ago have provided some positives, India still need more from their other batters, who have struggled to convert starts and find the boundary.
“This pitch is a little tough to bat on, but at the same time we just need to back ourselves, back our strength. We know we have such a good batting lineup. Whoever is doing well on that day should take the responsibility
and finish the game for the team,” Harmanpreet said while speaking at the pre-match press conference.
India will take on Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, September 13, in Dubai.
Asked about Sri Lankan star Chamari Athapaththu, Harmanpreet said that India would look to dismiss the dangerous opener early but wouldn’t focus just on her.
“We definitely want to take her wicket as soon as possible because we know how dangerous she is when she is batting. We want to come up with some solid plans against her, not only against her, but all the batters,” Harmanpreet said.
India and Sri Lanka have emerged as the two standout teams in the tournament and will face off in the final, with Harmanpreet insisting that there is little to separate the teams on paper.
“Whenever you are playing a match which is so important to win the tournament, that day it’s all about just playing on your strength and backing your strength. Rather than trying too many things and thinking of doing something extraordinary, it’s all about sticking to your strength, backing yourself and trusting your gut feeling,” Harmanpreet said.
