'Important for us, wanted to win this series at any cost' - Harmanpreet Kaur on series victory over New Zealand post T20 WC performance

Harmanpreet Kaur's Indian team clinched a crucial 2-1 ODI series victory against New Zealand, making a strong comeback after their disappointing 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. The series concluded with the hosts commanding a six-wicket win in the third ODI at Ahmedabad.

The victory was special for the team, coming after their disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup in the UAE, where they failed to reach the semifinals. Harmanpreet opened up about the team's brilliant performance in the series. 

“It was important for us as we wanted to win this series at any cost. As I said in the morning, we discussed a lot of things and really happy we could execute today. Whenever we play, we always want to give our 100% but sometimes things don’t go your way. As a professional cricketer, you have to keep pushing yourself and keep going. We discussed these things in the team meeting so really happy we could come back after that loss in the last game," Kaur said at the post-match press conference. 

Also Read: Smriti Mandhana's classy century guides India Women to series victory over New Zealand

Had to be little hard on myself: Smriti Mandhana

The final match saw batting brilliance from Smriti Mandhana who led the side with her impactful ton (100 off 122 balls), setting a new Indian record with her eighth ODI hundred, surpassing the legendary Mithali Raj. Mandhana's innings played a huge role in the successful chase of 233. Her partnership with Harmanpreet, who remained unbeaten on 59, was key in securing the victory.

The match began with New Zealand posting 232, anchored by Brooke Halliday's impressive 86. Despite losing key players, including Suzie Bates to a run-out and Sophie Devine to Priya Mishra's googly, the White Ferns managed to post a defendable total.

India's bowling attack put consistent pressure throughout the innings. India's chase, though started with an upset with Shafali Verma's early dismissal, was later stabilized by Mandhana's impressive batting display.

“Had to be little hard on myself early on and wait for the first 10 overs to go before taking the game on. For me what works is the harder way. Need to do it for the team first. Getting out early means I’ve let the team down and that thought doesn’t let me sleep well,” Mandhana said.

Harmanpreet also opened up about the team's ongoing focus on fielding. The Women in Blue have been working relentlessly on improving their fielding skills and aiming to become the best fielding side. 

"Always talking about our fielding, that’s an area we need to keep working hard. We are working hard but just waiting for the results till the time we can be the best fielding side,” Kaur concluded.