“This series definitely will give us a lot of confidence” - Harmanpreet Kaur opens up on India Women bagging the ODI series 2-1

India Women ended their successful tour of England with a commanding victory in the third ODI at Chester-le-Street on July 22, sealing the ODI series 2-1. The win came on the back of a historic 3-2 triumph in the T20I leg, marking a highly successful tour for the Women in Blue. 

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had been under pressure due to a lean patch with the bat, returned to form in the decider with a magnificent century. Her knock earned her both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.

Speaking after the win, a visibly relieved and happy Harmanpreet shared insights into her approach during the innings. "In all the matches I wanted to give my best in batting but today's game was very important to us. The plan was to spend some time on the wicket and then see how things go. That really worked for me. The first [ten] balls, I didn't get any runs but then I was just talking to myself: 'I'm not going to lose myself, just be there, be there for the team'," she said.

It wasn’t just the captain who shone in the decider. Young pacer Kranti Goud made a major impact with a sensational six-wicket haul that dismantled the England batting order. 

Harmanpreet lauded the youngster’s performance, saying, "She's been really impressing whenever she was on the field and bowling for the team. I'm really happy the kind of bowling she did today and whenever we needed a breakthrough, she was there for the team."

The conditions were challenging at Chester-le-Street, but the Indian team adapted well. Harmanpreet acknowledged the difference in playing conditions but was optimistic about the momentum this win could provide.

"Today was a totally different situation and different pitch, different atmosphere, in home conditions it will be different. But whenever you win, that can always give you a positive mindset and keep you in a good place. This series definitely will give us a lot of confidence but, again, when we go back, we have to start again from ball one."

The skipper also spoke about the hard work the team has been putting in and how the results are now beginning to show.

"Our team has been really working hard for so many years and this is the time where we are getting that [reward]," she said. "We only talk about playing good cricket and we know the kind of talent we have in our side. It's only about using the right talent at right time and getting the best out of them.”

“I'm really happy. All the girls, they're coming up with a positive mindset and working really hard on their fitness. We have understood a lot of things in the past few years and right now we're just trying to pass that benchmark and set ourselves into that position where people can talk about women's cricket. People can take women's cricket really seriously back home because we all know how much people love cricket back home, and they also want us to do well," she concluded.

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