'Our World Cup began that night': Harmanpreet Kaur on how one defeat united India to script history

India's women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur revealed how intense criticism after their loss against England brought the team closer together, leading to their first World Cup victory. Speaking at a post-match press conference in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, she emphasized how the team's unity strengthened following their challenging period of consecutive losses.

The Indian team faced a difficult phase when they lost three consecutive matches against South Africa, Australia, and England. The England match was particularly devastating as India failed to chase down a target of 289 despite being well-positioned at 234 for 3.



Following the England defeat, head coach Amol Mujumdar confronted the team while external critics called for leadership changes.

"Not a single player said 'what will happen now' when things were not going well, especially after the heartbreaking loss against England. That night changed a lot of things for us, we thought we will have to come out with a stronger mindset and everyone came together even more," Harmanpreet explained.

When questioned about handling harsh criticism, Harmanpreet maintained a balanced perspective. "It is a part of our life, criticism, because it brings some balance. I don't blame those who criticise us and I don't have much to say. For me it is important to keep things balanced within the team."

The team adopted their coach's approach of creating an internal bubble and ignoring external pressures.

Harmanpreet and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana were determined to avoid another disappointment after experiencing several heartbreaks in previous World Cups.

"I have played a lot of World Cups with her (Mandhana). We would lose at home and we were not able to break it (jinx). When we got to know the venue was DY Patil, we started celebrating and we decided we will not leave it. We spoke that we are at home and our World Cup begins now," Harmanpreet shared.

The team's resilience and determination ultimately paid off as they secured their first World Cup victory on home soil at the DY Patil stadium.
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