‘God is a better writer’: Harmanpreet Kaur reflects on India’s historic Lord’s win | Cricket News
india captain Harmanpreet Kaur India’s historic 270-run victory over England in the inaugural Women’s Test at Lord’s on Monday was down to the resilience, support staff and collective effort of her team.India ended the day on the fourth morning, bowling out England for 186 while defending a daunting target of 457 to seal one of the most memorable wins in women’s Test cricket.When asked if she could have written a better ending, Harmanpreet smiled and said, “Of course not. God is a better writer. He writes well.”Skipper reserved special praise for opener Mandana Shafali Verma’s partnership set the platform for India’s stellar performance.“Yes, of course. I think our opener was our biggest strength. The way they batted in the first half, I thought it was great to watch. They always take responsibility and take all the pressure off us. The way they batted in this Test match was great to watch as well.”Team India’s win is particularly important given the limited number of Tests the team has played. Harmanpreet said the support staff played an important role in preparing the players for the demands of the longest format.“I think it’s a great effort from the whole team, especially our support staff. Many of them have played a lot of Test cricket. They know how Test cricket moves and they give us feedback every moment. It’s because of them that we were able to perform well. I really want to thank Mr Amol and the whole team for supporting us in this Test match and the last one.”The victory came after India endured a disappointing Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, but Harmanpreet said the group remained united through the difficult stages.“I don’t think the last few series went in our favor. But I know that’s when things can change. The way our support staff has brought us together, that’s something to watch. Again, I want to give credit to Mr. Armor and the entire support staff. They’ve kept us together. I know the summer in England didn’t go the way we wanted but we came back strong in the Test matches. I’m really happy that we can now take some great memories home with us.“Harmanpreet also praised Yashtika Bhatia, whose century proved crucial to India’s dominance.“She is a fantastic batsman. We have a very strong feeling about her and that’s why we have included her in the XI. I am very happy with the way she is batting.”She also highlighted India’s fielding standards, with a special mention of Richa Ghosh, while appreciating the efforts of the entire team and fielding coaches.“We always have one player who wins the fielding award. The way our whole team has fielded in this Test match has been great to see because fielding is an area we work very hard on as a team. When you see the results you’re really happy. Our fielding coach has been working hard over the years so I’m really pleased with the way the whole team has fielded, especially Richa’s performance. Everyone has pulled together and done a good job for the team.“Going forward, Harmanpreet hopes the success of the Home of Cricket will encourage more women’s Tests to be played at the iconic venue.“Playing at Lord’s is always special. I’d really like to thank those who are considering hosting a Test match here and hopefully we’ll host more in the future. There’s a lot of joy and excitement that comes with these types of games. Hopefully we can continue to host more Tests and continue to perform like we are doing now.”
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