Hayden Shares ‘Lot Of Things’ With Smriti Mandhana Before T20 Women’s WC Match Vs Australia

As Indian women’s team grinds in London to avoid elimination, Smriti Mandhana is picking up the brains of Australia legend Matthew Hayden to sharpe...

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The Indian women’s cricket team is currently chasing its T20 World Cup dream, and their last fixture in the tournament’s group stage is full of stern challenges. The women in blue are currently placed second on the Group A points table with 8 points, accumulated from 4 wins and a loss (to South Africa). India can swiftly move into the semi-finals with a big win against Australia, but a defeat will surely break a million hearts.

As the countdown to the virtual quarter-final gathers pace in London, India’s preparations have taken an interesting turn. While the rest of the squad fine-tunes plans for the defending champions, Smriti Mandhana has been seeking answers from a man who once terrorised bowling attacks in much the same way she does today.

There was no dearth of learning for Mandhana when the left-handed Australian great shared his wisdom. Hayden was spotted helping the Indian opener with pull shots, seemingly helping the 29-year-old batter with playing grounded pulls.

The videos of interaction between Mandhana and Hayden have led to a social media buzz, so much so that even journalists were keen to ask about it in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

Mandhana said the recent discussions Hayden has had have helped her in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

“I have looked up to Sangakkara, sir and Matthew Hayden quite a lot. I remember even in my bad days, I would watch their videos. So, when I saw him (Hayden) doing the commentary, I got really excited,” Mandhana said.

“We had a good discussion, and I wanted to know a few things about the grip, etc. I also told him that chatting before an Australian game, I don’t know if you would like to do that, but he was really kind and sweet. He shared a lot of things, which I hope I can apply to my batting,” she added.

Mandhana is currently India’s leading scorer in the tournament. However, her strike rate of 153.21, helping her to get 167 runs in 4 matches, has to be amplified against the high-flying Aussies. A win on Sunday confirms a semi-final berth, while a loss will knock them out. The math is simple.