India's fielding coach Munish Bali has lauded Amanjot Kaur as an 'impact player' following her all-round heroics, which played a pivotal role in the hosts securing a consolation win in the third and final women's T20I against England. India clinched victory by five wickets in the third match after facing comprehensive defeats in the first two T20Is of the three-match series.
On Sunday, Amanjot not only scored the winning runs for India but also showcased impactful performances throughout the game, claiming 2 for 25 in her three overs and taking a splendid catch.
In a challenging situation for India, with a requirement of 11 runs in the last two overs, Amanjot's remarkable contribution included scoring 13 runs off just four balls, with three boundaries, securing the win with six balls to spare.
"She's an impact player; if you see, she bowled the fourth over in the powerplay and bowled very well,” Bali stated to the media after the conclusion of the series. "She fielded very well. She bowled for 3-4 overs yesterday (on Saturday during the second T20I) and made an immediate impact with a brilliant catch. When we were chasing today (on Sunday), 12 off 12 balls, the first ball she (faced was) whipped through the covers."
Reflecting on India's fielding performance in the series, Bali acknowledged the initial challenges, attributing some errors to the difficulty of adjusting to playing under lights. However, he noted improvement as the series progressed. "We played a day-night game after almost six to seven months. The last game that the girls had played was in WPL. After that, they have not played in the nighttime,” he said.
"It is always very difficult as a team when you are playing after 6-7 months, but we started practicing under lights, that is why the results are coming."
England head coach Jon Lewis expressed admiration for India's choice of young players in the series, including Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque.
"Ishaque obviously had a really good WPL, and it was not a surprise to me that she has been selected for India. She has great control," Lewis said.
"I really like Shreyanka Patil. She is smart, uses angles, turns the ball, and looks a real prospect to me. She is a real talent."
Lewis emphasized England's desire to play an ‘aggressive' brand of cricket as the teams move to Navi Mumbai for their one-off Test at the DY Patil from December 14-17.
"We want to play aggressive cricket, but we want to play smart cricket as well. Putting bowlers under pressure and absorbing pressure is all part of Test cricket, so the way we bat, we will very much be looking to put the opposition bowlers under pressure," he added.
