"My application hasn't been the way I've always applied myself": Smirit Mandhana on her recent form
Jul 21, 2023
Dhaka [Bagladesh], July 21 : India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is looking to improve her batting ahead of the ODI series decider against Bangladesh on Saturday.
Mandhana has failed to showcase her true potential as a batter so far on tour. The 36(58) she made in the second ODI helped her break the sequence of 11, 1 and 13.
In the pre-match conference ahead of the final ODI, Mandhana admitted that she has been struggling to apply herself on the pitch.
"I think I've been batting well in the nets; in matches as well, I've been getting starts. It doesn't happen a lot of times that I'm middling the ball but not getting runs for the team. I've been working on it," Mandhana said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"In the last match, I was pretty positive in the way I was able to get the team off to a decent start, but I threw my wicket away. It's more about application. Batting-wise, it's going well but it's just that my application hasn't been the way I've always applied myself. That's something I've been working on," Mandhana added.
Mandhana further went on to reflect on the change in the style of play the Indian players had to go through in order to adjust to the conditions that have turned, stopped and even kept low at times.
"Definitely, these have been challenging wickets to play on, I don't know if it suits which style of batting," Mandhana said with a laugh. "I won't really stress much on the wicket. The way we applied ourselves in the last match and got to 200-plus [was very good]. These wickets need a lot more application than a flat track. I won't say it suits our style of batting, but it's about how we adapt. As cricketers, we have to do that whenever you play," Mandhana signed off.
With the series level 1-1, both teams will look to clinch the series at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.
