They Kept Doing Many Things To Disturb Us, But We Decided To Just Focus On Our Batting - Sneh Rana On Being Sledging By England Players

India women bowling all-rounder Sneh Rana reveals that the England players heavily sledged her and her ninth-wicket batting partner Taniya Bhatia, with whom she shared an unbroken stand of 104 runs in the second innings of the recently concluded one-off Test to see the side safely to a draw.

After being asked to bat again courtesy of being enforced a follow-on, India escaped with a draw thanks to Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia’s lower-order defiance.

Sneh Rana, who had picked 4 wickets in England’s first innings, says that she and Bhatia put in more focus on their batting when the opposition players were chirping in their ears to disturb their concentration, which they failed in doing.

“It was their job to disturb us, and they kept on doing so many things to achieve their goal. We did not pay any attention and kept on talking to each other after every ball, be it from far or getting closer. It boosted us up. We just wanted to do it for our team. That was the only conversation we had in the middle,” Sneh Rana said at a virtual post-match conference on Saturday night.

“There was no nervousness. We just wanted to play our basics. There was sledging in the middle but we both decided to just focus on our batting and put in extra focus. I don’t think much and just keep myself busy. I didn’t want the situation to take over me, so that I could play my natural game.”

Didn’t think about the century, the team wanted me to stay: Sneh Rana

Before this Test match, Sneh Rana was last played for India in 2016. It was her brilliant domestic performance earlier this year.

She topped the wicket charts for the Railways in a 50-over national tournament picking 18 wickets at an average of 12.66 in addition to her 160 runs at a strike rate of 123.07 in the middle order in Railways’ victorious campaign – which forced her return after five years in all the formats.

The 27-year-old remained unbeaten on 80 in India’s second essay; she says that she was more concerned about contributing to the team – to save the game – than her personal milestone. With her impressive show in the Test match, Sneh Rana has made a case for a place in the ODI side as well in the 3-match ODI series that begins June 27.

“I didn’t think about the century. Team wanted me to stay so I was just playing ball-by-ball and contribute to the team,” she added.

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