'Can't blame Shafali for defeat', says India captain Harmanpreet Kaur

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Sunday backed beleaguered 16-year-old Shafali Verma after her dropped catch of Alyssa Healy cost India dear in Women's T20 World Cup final against Australia on Sunday. Shafali dropped Healy in first over when Australian opener was on nine. Healy went on to smash a 39-ball 75 and, along with Beth Mooney (78 t out off 54), added 115 runs for opening wicket to power Australia to 184 for four.  In reply, India were bowled out for 99 to hand hosts an 85-run win and an unprecedented fifth world title in shortest format.

'We can't blame Shafali for defeat' 

"She (Verma) is only 16, she's playing her first World Cup. She did really, really well and performed for us. For a 16-year-old kid, it's difficult to keep thinking positively and stay in game," said Kaur. 

"It's a learning lesson for her but it could happen to anyone. We can't blame her because re were ors also in her position."

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad also wasted a caught and bowled chance of Mooney early in Australian innings, and Kaur rued two dropped catches. "We gave chances to batters in great form and it's difficult for bowlers to come back when that happens," she said. Kaur denied that her side were overwhelmed by occasion as y were playing in ir maiden final in front of a record 86174 spectators at iconic MCG, most in a women's cricket match.  

"We weren't feeling under pressure but unfortunately we were unable to create those chances. It's a lesson for all of us, we have to be at 100 per cent when we're fielding because that's most important part of cricket."

India came into tournament with one of its youngest squads, and became first team to field more than one teenr in tournament's final. re were plenty of new faces since ir 2017 World Cup defeat to England. On that occasion, just nine runs separated India from title. lack of clinical cricket this time around has made defeat slightly easier to swallow for skipper. "I guess 2017 was more disappointing, because that was so close," Kaur said. "We didn't play cricket we expected of ourselves this time. As our team is quite young, we did really well in league games. We reached final this year. If we keep working and improving, maybe in future we can win."

setback will serve as a learning experience, according to India captain. "We didn't field well, we need to learn from today's performance. When you are playing a great level of cricket, you cant drop chances and we were t up to mark. "We will take this seriously and when we come to play next time, we will be one of best fielding sides."

Im credits: @T20WorldCup / Twitter