It’s a big relief: Mandhana after India storm into Women’s WC semifinals

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Thursday described qualifying for the Women’s World Cup semifinals as “a big relief,” as the team bounced back from three successive defeats after starting the tournament as one of the favourites.

India became the last team to qualify for the semifinals, joining Australia, South Africa and England, following a 53-run win over New Zealand via the DLS method in a rain-affected game here.

“For sure, it’s a big relief in terms of qualifying. The last three games were really tough. We thought we played some good cricket but just couldn’t win, so this is really relieving,” Mandhana said at the post-match presentation.

The stylish left-handed batter smashed 109, her fifth century of the calendar year, while opening partner Pratika Rawal notched her maiden World Cup hundred, scoring 122.

The duo shared a record 212-run partnership for the first wicket, leading India to 340/3 in 49 overs, their highest total in the Women’s World Cup, surpassing the 330 they made against Australia in Visakhapatnam earlier in the tournament.

The target was revised to 325 in 44 overs after another rain delay, and the 2000 edition champions managed 271/8.

Mandhana, adjudged player of the match, said Pratika deserved the award as much as she did.

“Pratika deserved this as much as I do.”

On batting with Pratika and why it works so well, she said, “We’ve been asked this question for the last eight months, and I don’t think either of us can answer it perfectly.

“But we’re similar people — we both just want to do the job for the team. We don’t talk a lot in the middle.

“She’s a good anchor and really allows me to play my natural game. When she gets going, I can chip in with the anchor role. That really works for us. We understand that when one person is going, the other can just focus on rotating the strike.”

India had hit a roadblock after wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, losing to South Africa, Australia, and then England.

“I back myself to play a longer innings once I get to 20. In World Cups, you have to leave a lot of things behind. If you are in form, you need to keep going and not complicate things — that’s what I kept telling myself. I’m feeling good, and that’s what matters.”

Overcoming the anxious moments following three defeats was not easy, said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.

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“Credit goes to the entire team for the way we fought today. We knew how important this game was, the entire team was charged up, and I am happy with how we played today. Credit goes to Smriti and Pratika for the way they took responsibility. We got a very good start,” Harmanpreet said.

On the pressure of playing a home World Cup, she said, “Whenever you are playing at home, everyone expects a lot from you. As a team, we discuss that this is our home and the crowd is always cheering for us. This is a moment to enjoy rather than just putting pressure on ourselves.”