Lanka eves beat Indonesia; Salvi plays down collapse vs Thailand

Chamari Athapaththu bowled a splendid spell and returned with a magical figure of seven 7/5 in 3.3 overs to thwart Indonesia to a paltry 49 in their Women’s Asia Cup match in Dubai on Wednesday.

Riding Nilakshika Silva’s fifty Sri Lanka posted a total of 124/7. Indonesia were in hunt as they wobbled from the beginning. Chamari ripped through a fragile batting line-up and folded Indonesia innings for 49.

Meanwhile, India women’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi has brushed off concerns surrounding the team’s late-order batting collapse against Thailand, describing it as a natural phase of T20 cricket as the side prepares to face Hong Kong China in a Group A clash on Thursday.

Despite securing a comfortable 94-run victory over Thailand, seven-time champions India’s batting frailties resurfaced in alarming fashion.

Cruising at 101/2 at the halfway mark, thanks to opener Shafali Verma’s explosive 36-ball 64, India lost seven wickets for just 29 runs in the second half of the innings to eventually finish on 159/9.

“Yeah, but that’s the nature of the sport. We are playing a T20 sport. So it’s not that every time we get into it, we will be executing our plans. There will be times when we will probably not execute the plans as well as we would have wanted to. So there will be a downfall. But if you see, there was a comeback also.

“The way they came back really well, they stretched the partnership at the end.

“Those important runs were contributed by the middle order and the lower order batters, which probably created that 160 mark. Then after that, you saw how they bowled the game,” Salvi told reporters in the pre-match press conference.

He also highlighted how the squad’s physical and mental preparation during a pre-tournament camp in Bengaluru helped them adapt seamlessly to the severe heat and humidity at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

“Post England, we also had a camp in Bengaluru. So during that period we also worked, I mean, in that weather, and then we were travelling to Dubai.

“So as we know, as professional cricketers, they have to handle different weather. So they are acclimatising and getting used to the conditions.

“As far as bowling is concerned, we have built their workload from the camp itself. While they had those practice sessions in Dubai, they have had those overs under their belt.

“I think the conditions currently are hot and humid. But we already knew about it when we came into the tournament. So accordingly we had prepared and trained ourselves, not just physically but mentally as well. So we had actually planned that way. When we came here, we practised under these conditions.

“We thought that girls got good exposure to the sort of surface which they expected in the practice sessions,” he added.

Salvi further commended the execution from both pace and spin units in their opening win over Thailand.

“I thought they utilised it really well, and getting into that first game against Thailand, I thought the girls had acclimatised really well. If you see in that game, there were pacers also who got the wickets, and there were spinners also who were getting the wickets.

“If you see the score line also, in the first 10 overs we were like 100. I think it’s about utilising those conditions well. Whoever utilises those conditions would probably be at the better end of the game,” he added.

He also praised left-arm spinner N Sree Charani for her rapid rise up the international rankings through her disciplined training regime. “I think she is an exceptional talent. She has created an impact from day one, when she stepped into the Indian women’s cricket team. One year down the line, you see where she has reached in the rankings as well.

“I think she is someone who focuses mainly on her basics while she is practising in the nets. Every day, there are some other things she wants to learn. If you see the practice sessions, if you are following or covering that, you will see every single time that she comes into the nets, she challenges herself to do different situations and tries to express herself in the nets also.”

Agencies