Can’t afford to make mistakes against Australia, says Smriti Mandhana

There are no shortcuts to beating Australia and every team has to give its best if it aspires to overcome the six-time world champions, said India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup which begins on Thursday.

Australia’s dominance in the global showpiece has been unrivalled with the team winning the last three editions of the tournament.

“Every game in the World Cup is important, and you have to give your 100 per cent in each one. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are strong teams, but with Australia, you know you can’t afford to make mistakes,” said Mandhana as India gear up to take on New Zealand in a Group A match here on Friday.

“You have to bring your best game on that particular day to get the better of them. There’s always excitement when facing Australia because they’re such a good team, and beating them is a great challenge,” added the India vice-captain.

India-Pak clash

She added that the clash against Pakistan always brings out a lot of passionate response from the players. The arch-rivals will lock horns here on October 6.

“I think the India-Pakistan rivalry is more about the emotions of the fans than anything else. It’s not like the players don’t talk to each other; it’s the emotions from both nations that make it so intense,” Mandhana said.

“For me, every World Cup match is special, and we put the same amount of effort into each game. But there’s definitely a lot of emotion attached to the India-Pakistan games,” said the veteran of 141 T20Is.