‘I said thank you for catching otherwise I’d have regretted…’: Radha Yadav on Amanjot’s crucial catch to dismiss Wolvaardt in WC final

NEW DELHI: India spinner Radha Yadav, a key member of the Indian women’s team that lifted the Women’s World Cup title, opened up about Amanjot Kaur’s game-changing catch in the final against South Africa, denoting it as a “pressure situation catch”.

Speaking about the dismissal of Laura Wolvaardt, who was threatening to take the game away from India, Radha said, “It was a brilliant catch. It was not an easy catch, and it went really high. It was a pressure situation catch. I was at long-on near her. I saw the ball fly up high in the air. I thought I would run to catch it, but then I saw that it was Amanjot under the ball. So, she would catch it. She is a brilliant fielder. When I saw that she fumbled, I said, Oh no, I will run. When she caught it in the third attempt, I said, oh shit, thank you so much, you caught it. Otherwise, I would have regretted that I did not run towards her. It came right in the middle of the lights (the ball).”

Reflecting on India’s journey in the tournament, Radha said the team learnt a lot from the difficult phase when they suffered three consecutive defeats.

“When we started the World Cup, we played Sri Lanka. That match was also very tight, but we won. When we lost three matches in a row, I believe it taught us a valuable lesson. It gave us an experience of what to do in such situations. We were prepared for that, and we got an experience. I think those things helped us in the semi-final and final. That’s why we were able to cross that line. The match was very tight in the final,” she explained.

Talking about the final, where India posted 298/7, Radha said conditions were challenging in the first innings but the team’s unity made the difference.

“When we first batted, the score was 298. I think it was a very good total because it was raining and the pitch was soft. It wasn’t easy for the batters. It got easy at night after the rolling. It wasn’t easy for the bowlers, but one thing that was common throughout was to support each other and pick each other up,” she said.

Radha also highlighted the contribution of the entire support staff and players off the field.

“There were a lot of mistakes, but how we support each other and pick each other up becomes important. All the players and staff who were sitting outside helped us a lot. They kept us in the present. They came to the boundary line and gave us water, encouraging us that now it is time for the next ball. I think that becomes very important in team sport. You do not live alone. You have other people to back you up. If you make a mistake, you can come back from it,” she added. (ANI)