23 February - Cape Town - India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur post-match press conference
[Reporter]
It was a great match - You felt a little comfortable when you went to take the runs. If you had not got run out, maybe the match would've finished at some point and it would've been in your favour.
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Yes, because I think if my bat didn't get stuck and I would've easily finished that run, I think if I had stayed till the last moment, we could have definitely finished the match one over earlier as we had the momentum. But even after that, you know, Deepti was there, Richa was there. I had a self-belief that they can do it too because Richa has also batted well in all the matches till now. But I think after I got out, we played 7-8 dot balls in the middle and the match turned there. Otherwise, we had a good momentum and the match was going well.
[Reporter]
When you came to bat, from that moment, you were in the zone. I mean, the way you and Jemmy had a partnership, what kind of conversations were happening, about that partnership?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Like Jemmy and I had a partnership, we were talking that we just have to stay positive and convert the loose balls into boundaries. We needed eight runs in one over from the start, so that calculation was in our mind and we were batting keeping that in mind. And I think I got a good response from Jemmy too. She was looking very positive and it felt really good when your partner responds positively and meets the ball. So, you get to learn a lot while standing on the non-striker end and you feel very positive. So, I think the partnership had brought a momentum towards us and we wanted to continue that. But I think my run out was a turning point. Otherwise, I think we were in the game throughout the game. Because it was in our mind that if we keep them around 170, we have such a batting line-up that we can chase 170. We have such batting. So, I think the turning point of the match was where I got run out. Otherwise, everything was going in our favour.
[Reporter]
I wanted to ask one more thing. This morning, there were reports that you are not well, your health is not good and many other players are also not well. What was the clarification about that? What were you thinking about that news?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Well, I had fever but it was not so much that we could not play the match. Because even before this, it has happened many times that when you have fever, you always back yourself and it depends on the player whether he is interested in playing or not. And you know more about your body that how you respond on the ground. And because of the fever, Radha missed the last match as well. But today, she was looking good and my fever was not so much that I can't play. Luckily, I recovered here and, in the morning, I was feeling okay and I told my staff that I am ready to play.
[Reporter]
So, you talked about the fever. Can you just clarify that hospital visit? Did you visit the hospital or not?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Did I visit the hospital? Yeah, I did visit the hospital. We had some paracetamol there. Because at that time, my fever was going up and down in my body. But I think it happens sometimes when the weather changes. In South Africa, sometimes it is very hot and sometimes it is very cold. So, I think sometimes as a player, you have to go to the hospital. But then again, it depends on the player how they take it. They know their body well. So, I think luckily, the physios took good care of me and I could recover fast.
[Reporter]
You talked about the partnership with Jemimah. Even in the Commonwealth finals, when your partnership broke, it was the turning point. So, what were you talking about today and what did you say about your run out turning point?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
I think in Commonwealth, we were just saying that we will keep a positive approach and do calculative batting. Because whenever you do calculative batting, you know what risk to take with which bowler and which bowler not to take risk. So, I always like to bat with Jemimah because she is someone who rotates the strike on every ball. And besides her, I know all the players very well because I have been batting with them for a long time. When Jemimah and I were batting today, our approach was to keep the run rate in mind while batting. Because after three wickets fell, we didn't want to go with that momentum. We wanted to win. We wanted to take this game as deep as possible. If I hadn't gotten run out, the result would have been different. But we have to accept whatever happened.
[Reporter]
How much of a difference do you think the fielding made to both sides today? Do you feel there were things you could have done better?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Obviously, the Australian side is such - They always field very well. And from our side, we made some mistakes. But again, we have to just learn whatever mistakes we have done. But obviously, the Australian side is better than us. They always field well. And today also, when I got out, their body language completely changed. The way they stopped 2-3 boundaries, that also made a huge difference.
[Reporter]
And do you feel the gap is getting smaller between yourselves and Australia? I mean, the results seem to suggest so.
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Well, we always backed ourselves whenever we played against Australia. Because we know we beat them a few times, two times in the ICC World Cup and then once in the home series. So, we know when we play good cricket, how we respond. We know we can beat any team when we play good cricket. And today also, we were looking in good shape. But unfortunately – but the good thing is the match went till the last over. We didn't give up easily. That's what we discussed. We don't want to give up at any cost. We will fight till the end. And good to see that we fought till the end.
[Reporter]
There was a time when you needed 39 runs in 30 balls – when both of you were in. Fans say that it was very unlucky. How will you take the pressure when someone like Naseer Hussain on live commentary calls it a schoolgirl error or a club cricket error? How do you defend something like that?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
He said that? Yes. Okay. I don't know. That is a way of thinking. I don't know. But sometimes it happens. I have seen many times in cricket when batters are taking a single like that and sometimes bat is stuck there. But obviously, I will take it as we were unlucky today. Maybe something still, we have to improve to go to the finals because definitely we didn't field bad. We didn't bowl well in patches. Sometimes we didn't bat well. If you want to win any game, we have to do well in all the departments. Then only you have more chances to go to the semis, to the finals. I think it was unlucky but I don't think it was a mistake by a schoolgirl because we are mature enough. We are playing international cricket and whatever he said, that's his way of thinking. But I don't think it was like that.
[Reporter]
Harmanpreet, your reaction to your dismissal was quite something when you threw your bat into the outfield. Was that the frustration or the disappointment or did you think you had cost your team the game at that point?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
Definitely, it was a disappointment because the way I was batting, maybe that was the only chance to know how I can get out. Otherwise, the way I was meeting the ball, I know how to take this inning till the end. But sometimes it happens in cricket and we have to accept whatever happens. But otherwise, I am happy the way we played cricket throughout this tournament. We saw some really good performances like Richa did. We saw that someone who can bat freely, who can hit the ball like the way she is hitting. I think a lot of positives we saw in this tournament and whenever we come next time to play any ICC tournament, we will think about these things before coming here.
[Reporter]
2020 T20 World Cup Final, Commonwealth Games Final, Australia again, how much of a pain does it make you go through personally? How difficult is it for you to come this close every time against Australia? To play an important knock as you did at the Commonwealth Games Final and today as well and yet not being able to take the team.
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
It is disappointing because according to the momentum of the match and the way we were playing cricket, we shouldn't have lost like this. Because from the Australian team's body language, it looked like they gave up the match. But the moment I got out, the moment the momentum shifted from India to Australia, I personally felt it was a turning point. Otherwise, I think we played good cricket. It is disappointing because we shouldn't have lost like this. Because in the end, after coming so close, we could have batted with more responsibility and with a positive approach. But otherwise, if you look at it, there are a lot of positives. But whatever happens now, we can only accept and from here we have to just keep moving forward.
[Reporter]
After the CWG Final, you were looking very sad in Birmingham, Edgbaston. After that loss, what did you say to yourself so that you can prepare for this World Cup? So that you can prepare for another World Cup knockout? And most likely, what would you say to this Harmanpreet once you are back to the hotel, once you are back in India?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
It was very difficult to control myself. I don't know. Right now, I am sitting in a hangover. I don't understand how it is going on. But after this, when we go to the room, we will know how many more days it will take. But I think we played good cricket. That's all I can say.
[Reporter]
You played an excellent game today collectively as a team. But what does it actually take to beat this Australian side?
[Harmanpreet Kaur]
I think the positive approach, that is the only key thing which we always discuss. If we stay positive, if we just keep pushing ourselves, then only we can beat them. And good to see that a few of us were looking very positive and they were ready to give their 100%. But we were unfortunate today. We were not able to make it that side. But I think we did really well in a few areas and I would love to take that positives back home.
