11 March - Hamilton - India coach Ramesh Powar pre-match press conference
Reporter: Yesterday a lot of things didn't go India's way. Especially within the batting department, you know, the first 20 overs or so, well, what are the things that you - in hindsight think you would have done differently and with this tournament, still a long way to go, what kind of conversations you have had with the team since?
Coach Ramesh Powar: First of all, good morning everyone. I think it was one of those days where things didn't go our way. And honestly, I was also surprised the way we batted 20 overs and if you look back last six games which we played against New Zealand, we were executing our plans well. I think it is the pressure, I think of World Cup, but I don't want to give any excuses. This is the right time to put your hand up and put up performances, because we've been training for last six months. We've been to England, Australia. We've been to New Zealand early so we got every practice opportunity, which was needed so it is time as a group to stand up and deliver.
Reporter: What kind of conversations you've had with the team since?
Powar: Nothing different- it's been a process for a while and I think if you've watched us last six months or last three tours, we've been improving as a batting unit - we used to struggle to get to 220, We've been scoring 270 - 280s, again, it is up to the team, just like I always said - the player has to go up there and face that pressure and come out with his own skills and character.
Reporter: What are your plans to counter their bowling attack? And also what have been the discussions with the batting group, especially the top order after the match against New Zealand?
Powar: We have been following a particular process for a long period of time how to address particular attacks, bowling attacks or particular bowlers, be it off spinners or pace bowlers or left arm spinners or leg spinners. So everyone in this batting unit knows how to react to certain bowling attacks. So there's nothing as such that tomorrow we're going to give exam and today we are going to study what we are going to do tomorrow. So it's been a process for a while everyone knows where we stand as a group, betting group and bowling group. So everyone knows there is no need of putting a lot of pressure on my team. They will react well, they respond normally - with a great character whenever they've been pushed in the corner.
Reporter: I wanted to know your thoughts on how to cope with the run rates - although it is match situation, but the top order is struggling. I mean, against Pakistan batting was almost exposed. Had there been no Rana or Vastrakar - and against New Zealand as well. So your thoughts on that?
Powar: I think Rana and Pooja are part of Team India. And we've been working hard on each and every player – be it pure batter or the all-rounder, so these things will happen where top three - four will struggle. The bottom three will perform, so this is a team game where someone has to cover for someone - everyone will not perform every game. So this is team where at some point everyone will contribute and at some point someone will miss out so that others will stand up and deliver. So going forward, it's important to show some intent when you bat first 10 overs, and if you look around in this World Cup - chasing is not that easy, but it was a good victor to chase upon, and I think we've messed up in first 20 overs where I was expecting momentum and intent.
Reporter: Also what was the thinking behind having three left handers at the top yesterday?
Powar: Honestly, Shafali was not in the greatest form - when you see the last New Zealand series and we wanted to give a break to Shafali and bring in Yastika, who was consistent with her batting performances - so I don't think three left handers in a row makes a difference in every match - but going forward yes, we are going to look at it tactically, it gives an advantage to opponents to set up the plan easily and left -right batter combination allows us to get to a batting rhythm and bowling at left hander right hander combination - it's kind of difficult for bowlers also – going forward we will try and address this.
Reporter: My question to you - first of all is everyone available for selection tomorrow? We saw Pooja have a little bit of trouble with her foot - just that, and the other one - is in terms of you said you know top three left doesn't really matter if they're playing well and all, that but having had the time to prepare for the World Cup and all that, this was the first time that India tried three left handers at the top – do you think that it backfired and what sort of change are you looking at for tomorrow to avoid that?
Powar: Firstly, everyone is available for selection. And as far as your question, I think it's been over looked at or maybe over thought of that three lefthanders been batting together. See we are playing with two off spinners also. So is it fine or no - that we can't decide - it is up to that particular performer.
Reporter: So that's my question. I understand that three left handers is not a problem. But my question is that this combination was tried out for the first time at the World Cup match. I mean, we've had time to prepare and all that, but to try out a new combination completely out of nowhere – they’ve not batted together before, in that order. Right. So did that kind of figure into your plans?
Powar: See I've been handed over a squad of 15 Okay where I have limitations of three openers, so I will use what I have. So that is first thing and Yastika opens for her state, and when you come into the tournament like World Cup, you use the squad available. I can't make Meghna play because she's not in the squad. So whatever is available and what is given to me - I'm just trying to take best out of it.
Reporter: Right, so any changes that you're looking at for tomorrow in that regard?
Powar: That I can't tell you now, we will let you know tomorrow – you can see for yourself tomorrow.
Reporter: My question is - are you pleased with the way Harmanpreet has been scoring runs because there was a lean patch she was going through, but then we saw 100 in the warm up game - even in the game against New Zealand though we lost. She did try to score runs and she did score runs. Are you pleased with Harmans scoring run - and how does it order for the team because she is an important part of the middle order.
Powar: It will be biased to say that I'm happy or I'm disappointed because I am a coach and I have to reach out to players who are not in form, and if someone is out of form, that player is getting into form. I'm happy – but I was never disappointed when she was out of form because I know what kind of player she is. I have coached her in 2018, So I know her capabilities. She can win games single handedly - moving forward I expect her to be consistent and I expect everyone from the top five to be consistent. I want seniors to be putting their hand up - like Mithali, Smriti, Jhulan and win us the game single handedly because their participation in win - and their contribution in the wins will brush to the younger players, because we have inexperienced players as well as experienced players. So it's not that kind that I'm happy with someone or I'm not happy with someone’s form - it's a team game where I have to reach out to everyone who is not in the form. Or it's not that - that I have to react to forms and non-forms. I'm trying to build players here, who will India the World Cup.
Reporter: We have seen that - we've already seen a couple of upsets in the tournament and it's pretty apparent that it’s going to be a very tight tournament and it might come to just margins going into the semifinals to decide who will go into the semifinals. In such a situation how crucial it becomes for the team to get those two points in the next game. Given you lost the New Zealand in the last one and there are a couple of strong opponents still left to face.
Powar: I think we've stepped in into the World Cup thinking of creating momentum, winning every game, treating every game as an upward game because you can't think too ahead - Because of the last two years have been tough for everyone - there will be rustiness - there will be you know, out of form players - because of the long gap which we had in last two years. So it'll be kind of tough tournament for each and every team. So whenever you have form, make sure you keep the winning momentum going - that's the habit you have to create to qualify and also do well in knock out games.
Reporter: Mithali has of course scored truckloads of runs in her usual position. But has there been conversations with her around her getting a promotion to maybe an opening slot and number three in the recent hours - especially after the New Zealand loss?
Powar: See I think we as a team, discuss a lot of things right from the bowling attacks to the batting orders. I can't disclose that here. We have a healthy discussion about it, we think how to address blocks of overs - because the fifty over game is a long game. It's not T20 where you push play around here and there. I think we need to discuss as a unit that if the overs should be played by our best batters - So that is going forward that is what I will push for - let's see what happens.
Reporter: And another quick one - Pooja Vastrakar and Sneha Rana had mentioned the other day that - the sports psychologist has been part of the Indian setup for a while, it's not just the first tournament that she has been working with the team - can you exactly pin point the timeline of her being roped in and whose idea was it to begin with to have a sports psychologist on board in the lead up to the World Cup?
Powar: I think as a head coach, I wanted that help because it's a high pressure tournament and looking at our history, I wanted players to be at ease when they play this kind of high pressure tournament and she's been with us from England - I think it's been almost six - more than six months and in person I think first time she's traveling with us and it is helping us a lot - if you remember how we used to react to collapses, I think the way Pooja and Rana addressed that collapse – it is a part of mindset and that's what she works on - and moving forward. I hope it will help us getting the right results and the mindsets.
Reporter: In yesterday’s match - India did really well in the last 10 overs, giving away just 49 runs. Can you talk us through about the kind of work that has gone behind especially using Deepti in the later half and yesterday particularly paces were really good, what kind of work has gone behind in addressing that death bowling issues?
Powar: I think there is a lot of work going on for last six months. I think you've seen the ‘yorkers’ part yesterday, and I think Pooja and Jhulan executed that well, and I think we are working it for last eight months, and I can't give you details -it will take a lot of sessions to tell you all details, if you could see us in practice it will be easier to gauge what we exactly do -
Reporter: West Indies of course have possibly three spinners, maybe 30 overs of off spin, possibly India has three left handers in the batting order. Is that a matchup that worries you and will that influence selection at all?
Powar: Not really because see, tomorrow if we have three left armers against us, will we change the batting order? No, because I trust my batting unit. Yes, we will definitely look at it – open left hand batters in a row. Two inexperienced and I agree with that - Barring Smriti - Yes, we'll look at this - maybe we've taken the wrong call. We accept that. That is not a big deal. I think moving forward. I think we need to address that.