Durban, April 18 (IANS) India batter Jemimah Rodrigues admitted that the visitors fell short with the bat despite laying a strong early foundation, while also pointing out key areas for improvement following their six-wicket defeat to South Africa in the opening T20I at Kingsmead.

The hosts secured a six-wicket victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series to start the important home series on a high. This series also acts as a preparation for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 12 in England.

“I feel, starting off in batting, we were around 15-20 runs short. With the kind of start we got, I think Shafali Verma, the way she batted was great,” Jemimah said in the post-match press conference, highlighting how India failed to maximise a brisk powerplay.

India had surged early before losing two quick wickets, but Jemimah and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur rebuilt the innings with a crucial stand. However, she conceded that the team couldn’t press on when it mattered most.

“Then two wickets falling in two overs, but then Harmanpreet Kaur and I getting that partnership back. I think when we had built that momentum and removed the difficult part of it, when time came to capitalise, we were not able to capitalise,” she noted.

Jemimah also pointed to challenging batting conditions in the first innings, but maintained that the total was below par, as she said, “And also, the conditions were a little bit tricky in the first innings. There was slight hold on the wicket. But yeah, definitely we were 15 runs short.”

Reflecting on the middle-order approach, she stressed the importance of backing intent, especially in pressure situations, saying, “I know Harman and I could have gone deep. Even Richa, little here and there, it was a six. So, sometimes when you come in, in such a position, you need to back yourself. It is like 1 out of those 10 times where it will go for a catch. But I know 9 out of 10 times, she will hit it in the stands.”

Jemimah also underlined the broader significance of such matches in the lead-up to a global event, noting the need for greater match exposure for India’s all-rounders.

“So, I think we can definitely work on that because coming to the World Cup, we have batting till the end, a lot of all-rounders. But also, the all-rounders coming later have not got so much match time and experience. So, I think playing here in South Africa is going to be really great for us as a preparation also for the World Cup and for our entire batting order too,” the 25-year-old said.

On the bowling front, Jemimah credited the unit for pushing the game deep but called for sharper execution, stating, “Coming in the second innings, I think our bowlers did really well to get it to the last over. Like Shreyanka Patil bowled really well, Shree Charani bowled really well. A little more better execution and I think we are going to come back stronger in the next game.”

She reiterated that batting through the innings would be key going forward, mentioning, “I felt in the first innings, the ball was gripping a bit. It was not coming as nicely on the bat. I feel Harman and I, the partnership we had was really good. It was just that when the time came for us to capitalise, I got out at the wrong time. Because for set batters, it is easier to bat through and take it deep. So, in the next match, I will come back and take that responsibility again.”

Looking ahead to the next fixture, Jemimah expressed confidence in adapting better to conditions and improving collectively.

“In the next game, for us as a batting unit, I think in the day, again we know what the conditions will be like. We know that this pitch might have slight turn and slight hold. And in the day time, it is also going to play the same in both the innings. So, that is one positive where it is not much on the toss. And the second thing would be, as a bowling unit, we will work a lot more on our execution and come back stronger,” she concluded.

–IANS

vi/