In a heartening show of support for vice-captain Smriti Mandhana amidst personal challenges, Indian women's cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar has lavished praise on her batting genius. Speaking at a felicitation event at Mumbai's Bombay Gymkhana, the architect of India's maiden ODI World Cup triumph in November revealed his admiration for the star opener.
Muzumdar's Fandom for Mandhana's Elegance
Amol Muzumdar did not hold back in applauding Smriti Mandhana's technical prowess, particularly her strength on the off-side. "Smriti is the best left-hander I've ever seen. Her cover drive is beautiful, elegant. There's a touch of class in her cover drive," the coach stated, offering a morale boost to the batter who recently called off her wedding.
The Sleepless Nights and Turning Point of the World Cup
Muzumdar opened up about the intense pressure during the tournament, confessing to "sleepless nights" before the crucial must-win match against New Zealand at the DY Patil Stadium. He termed that encounter, which India won by 53 runs via the DLS method, as the tournament's "turning point."
"I think that the New Zealand game gave me more... Before the New Zealand game, there were a couple of sleepless nights. Because that was a must-win game. It was like a quarter-final. So if we win the game, we're getting into the semi-finals," he explained.
The coach also highlighted Jemimah Rodrigues' "phenomenal" knock of 127 runs in the semi-finals as a key performance, while revealing the team was always mentally prepared to face Australia in the knockout stages.
Building a Culture of Accountability and Tough Decisions
Muzumdar admitted to having stern words for the team after a demoralising loss to England in Indore, their third consecutive defeat. He emphasized the need to address issues immediately. "You have to press on the nerve that's hurting. If it hurts, then we perform better," he said.
The coach credited his Mumbai cricket upbringing for instilling a sense of "accountability" in the players. "I still have inculcated that in this Indian women's team that you've got to be accountable for your own performances and your team's performance," Muzumdar noted, calling the World Cup journey "incredible."
He defended tough selection calls, like dropping Jemimah Rodrigues for a few matches, as "cricketing decisions" made with the "team first" philosophy ingrained in Mumbai's maidan culture.
Women's Team Easier to Handle, A Cohesive Unit
Comparing his experiences, Muzumdar, who has coached Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai men's team, found handling the women's side "much more difficult" than the men's. He praised the current squad not just for their skill but for being "terrific human beings."
He reserved special praise for the team's camaraderie, calling it the most cohesive unit he has been part of. "They worked terribly hard. Unbelievable sacrifices... One thing which I really observed... is that if you give them instruction, they will follow it to the 'T'. Only and only if they trust you," Muzumdar gushed.
For Muzumdar, the pinnacle moment remains watching captain Harmanpreet Kaur lift the World Cup. "It was a surreal moment. I don't think it will get any better and bigger than that," he concluded, marking the highlight of his coaching career.
