Megan Schutt, the senior Australian fast bowler, recently refuted Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s assertion that Australia was behind at one point during the T20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday, February 23 in Cape Town.
The Women in Blue, who were chasing the huge total of 173 runs, were cruising at one point thanks to Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet. Before the Aussies clawed their way back into the game and never looked back, they put up 69 runs for the fourth wicket.
The Indian skipper remarked in the post-game interview that they had the champs up against the wall at one point during the game. Yet, Megan Schutt credited their composure as a factor in their victory in the tight semi-final, which appeared to shrug India away.
Here is how Harmanpreet Kaur reacted to her dismissal:
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“They were cruising, and we were under the pump,” she commented, “Collectively our last five overs were crucial. Getting a couple of wickets in there but also providing pressure on all aspects, whether it’s in the field, with the ball or even body language out there. Harman said our body language was down. I’ll call bullshit on that.”
“We’re just calm. We don’t panic, we don’t take it out on each other if there’s a misfield or a dropped catch. That’s where we stand out as a team. We’re a team first and we know getting angry about that isn’t going to do about that. So, it was a collective effort,” she added.
The Indian captain was obviously upset over being dismissed, and on her way back to the dressing room, she let out her rage by tossing the bat onto the ground. Megan Schutt said that an action like the one Kaur had, was improper for any senior cricketer and that it sets a bad precedent for the players to follow.
In meantime, Australia won the third consecutive T20 World Cup and the sixth in a straight count, going undefeated throughout the World Cup. Although the Aussies managed to walk past the hosts, there were moments that seemed the Proteas might make it to the triumph.
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Before she began to throw the 17th over of the South African innings, Schutt acknowledged that it was a frightening feeling. Laura Woolvardt and Chloe Tyron kept hammering away at the target, putting pressure on Australia, according to Schutt, who received the new ball.
In a challenging 157-run chase, the Proteas had a ray of hope thanks to the 55-run stand between Woolvardt and Tyron. To put significant damage in the home team’s chances of winning the title, Schutt struck in the 17th over, dismissing the former at 61.
In praise for Wolvaardt, she said, “She was hitting them bloody nicely – and so was Chloe. So, it was honestly quite scary there towards the end. We were under the pump, don’t get me wrong; she probably tried to play me too square and thaid het dr in, but she was hitting down the ground beautifully. Crucial wicket, but just lucky that it came off.”
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