Spinner Radha Yadav on Saturday hailed the impact of bowling coach Narendra Hirwani after claiming a career-best 4/23 in India’s seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 World Cup here.
India’s spinners have been the talk of the tournament so far in Australia and Yadav was the latest to shine, laying the foundation for their win with a four-wicket haul to restrict Sri Lanka to 113 for nine.
But the left-arm spinner, who was not in the starting XI when Poonam Yadav spun a web around Australia in their opener, was reluctant to take the credit herself and heaped praise on former India spinner Hirwari for getting her back to her best.
“Narendra has been with us since the West Indies tour last year in November. He has definitely worked a lot on my bowling,” Yadav said.
“My mindset often gets jumbled and I start overthinking about a lot of things, especially my action and my deliveries in general, but he has supported me a lot by freeing my mind up and clearing the clutter.”
India head into the semifinal of the tournament with a 100 percent win record and Yadav is hoping for a better show in the coming days.
“We were working hard for this, so I’m really happy that we have won four consecutive matches. I’m feeling good in general now and I want to do even better in the semifinals.”
After Yadav flummoxed the Sri Lankan batters with her match-winning bowling performance, Shafali Verma showed her class again by hitting a 34-ball 47.
Sri Lanka were left to rue their dropped catches — two off Shafali’s blade. Kavisha Dilhari spilled one at extra cover before Sathya Sandeepani also failed to hold on to an offering from Shafali.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu, who scored 33, knows dropped catches against match winners have cost her side but also recognised the need for others to step up alongside her in the middle.
“We dropped Sophie Devine twice, then we dropped Rachael Haynes twice and now Shafali Verma. Catches win matches, and we have to be taking them when aggressive batters give them, otherwise we can’t stop them,” she said. ricket.
“India are a great team and I hope to see them play in the final,” she added.
