"Great game awareness": Dodda Ganesh takes sarcastic dig at Harmanpreet Kaur over blunder in Australia clash

In a thrilling and must-win encounter at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, India fell just short of nine runs against the defending champions Australia on Sunday (October 13), leaving the former Indian men’s cricket team pacer Dodda Ganesh with extreme disappointment.

Dodda Ganesh has taken a sarcastic dig at the Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur for her slow innings and poor decision-making in the must-win clash against Australia Women at the ongoing ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 in Sharjah on Sunday.

Dodda Ganesh slams Harmanpreet Kaur after India's narrow loss to Australia in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024

India Women showed promise while chasing down a challenging target of 152 runs to win the game, but in the end, their 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final hopes were taken out of their hands by Australia. As the match reached its climax, India found themselves needing 14 runs off the last over.

Harmanpreet Kaur, who had played a measured innings, suddenly found herself in the spotlight. Despite her solid 54 runs off 47 balls, the pressure mounted when she opted for a single on the fourth ball of the final over, handing the strike to tailender Shreyanka Patil.

This decision sparked outrage among fans and former players, including Dodda Ganesh, who expressed his frustration on social media. Ganesh did not hold back in criticizing Harmanpreet Kaur's decision to rotate the strike instead of taking charge in a tense situation.

Great game awareness by the Indian skipper: Dodda Ganesh takes a dig at Harmanpreet Kaur

The former Indian cricketer mentioned that expecting a new batter to deliver in such a high-pressure juncture was unrealistic, as he slammed Harmanpreet Kaur by saying “great game awareness by the Indian skipper” after the match ended in a nail-biting defeat for India against Australia.

Dodda Ganesh posted on his X handle: “You have a fifty against your name and then at a critical juncture you take a single and expect the new batter to score 2 sixes off two balls, to win the game. Great game awareness by the Indian skipper 👏🏻 #INDvsAUS.”

You have a fifty against your name and then at a critical juncture you take a single and expect the new batter to score 2 sixes off two balls, to win the game. Great game awareness by the Indian skipper 👏🏻 #INDvsAUS

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) October 13, 2024

Whatever was in our hands, we were trying to do that: Harmanpreet Kaur

Notably, the Indian women’s cricket team’s dreams for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals now hang by a thread following a heartbreaking nine-run defeat to Australia in their final group-stage match. It was India's second defeat in four matches, leaving their fate depending on the outcome of the crucial clash between New Zealand and Pakistan.

A victory for New Zealand against Pakistan would effectively end India's campaign at the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, while a win for Pakistan would lead to a tense calculation of the net run rate to determine the semi-finalists. This nail-biting scenario has left the fans frustrated.

Harmanpreet Kaur said at the post-match presentation: “It was a chaseable total. When me and Deepti were batting, we couldn't hit a few loose balls. We can learn a lot from Australia. Whatever was in our hands, we were trying to do that, but that's something not in our control. If we get the opportunity to play another game, that will be great. But otherwise, whoever deserves to be there, that team will be there.”