12 March - Hamilton - India player Smriti Mandhana post-match press conference

Reporter: Congratulations on the 100 today. You said after batting that it was not your typical innings. So how pleased were you that you could adapt to the situation and still kick on and get 100?

Smriti: Yeah, definitely as I said it wasn't the one - like a typical one which I just go into flow and I started playing my shots. So yeah really pleased that I could put some brakes on my scoring rate and play according to the situation and then contribute and mainly I think contribute to India, for India’s win. And I think that's something which I really look forward to every day when I come out to bat. So I'm happy that I could do that today.

Reporter: You obviously shared your Player of the Match award with Harmanpreet and it's the first time since 2017 she's got back-to-back half centuries for India in ODIs - how important is it to have her playing consistently like that?

Smriti: Yeah, I think she's a very crucial part of our batting order, especially in the middle order. And I'm really happy that she's come back to form and I think from the practice game, she's been batting well, so we're really confident that she'll be able to score runs in this tournament and I'm happy that she's got back-to-back 50’s. Most importantly, I think today's century will give her a lot of confidence and I think the whole team as well, because we were not in a great place I think to start with and from there for her to come in and bat and get us out of that situation. I think it was an incredible innings.

Reporter: And lastly from me it was a record 24th game for Mithali Raj as a captain at the Cricket World Cup – what is it like to have her as a captain and leading you and how pleased were you to get the win for her?

Smriti: Yeah, she's been a brilliant captain for the team and yeah, I think she's been playing for - playing that consistently for such a long time. I think - that's something remarkable and I think someone like her and Jhulan in the dressing room. I think that's a lot of experience for all of all of us, especially like if you're in a tough place, they have calm heads that definitely get us out of all the situations. So having Jhulan and Mithali - I think is great to have them in the dressing room.

Reporter: My question is in during your partnership with Harman, we saw an over where you all took 1,1,1,2,1,1 - That was something that was missing in the previous matches. Was that like a conscious effort to keep the scoreboard ticking even when the boundaries were not coming? Just talk to us about the plan in that sense for your partnership?

Smriti: Yeah, I think when she came in to bat, I think we were focusing more on singles and doubles because we had lost three quick wickets and we didn't want to play another shot or get out or something and we didn't want to even stop the run rate – so our discussion was both of us said that we'll just keep batting and I'm sure we'll get singles and doubles and let's just convert the singles, into doubles - that something which we all spoke in the dressing room after the New Zealand match that the momentum, which in the last match, we couldn't actually start the momentum and you know, carry us also. So I think that was something which we discussed that – Yastika had set up the momentum for us in the batting and because of those three wickets, we didn't want to lose that momentum. We had to keep it going but definitely we couldn't afford to play a fancy shot so that's why I think those singles and doubles were really important I think in the middle space.

Reporter: It was a really nice gesture on your behalf sharing your trophy with Harmanpreet - my question is, are you going to be so kind to yourself going forward? Like the one complaint you have had with yourself is not converting your 50’s and not converting those starts into hundreds and bigger innings. So I just want to know what changed today. And you know, how fulfilling was this 100 in particular?

Smriti: Yeah, again, it's been a long way. I think for me to come - like I think I've been getting out on 70s and 80s quite a lot. So something which was consciously I was thinking that if I feel like playing the shot, I don't have to stop myself. I'll just go with the flow and I'll just play according to the ball. That's how I started my innings. So that's something which I was really working on. And yeah, I think hopefully I will be this kind always on me and I will convert the 60s and 70s into a big score because I think if we do that - India's will be in a great position.

Reporter: I want to know from you what changed for India’s batting approach from the loss against New Zealand to today's win against the West Indies. Could you explain that what changed for India?

Smriti: I think we had a long discussion in the meeting before the match and we discussed about how we couldn't really get going in the match against New Zealand and something that we all decided as a batting unit that we have to stay positive regardless of whatever situation we are in. So that's something that we consciously wanted to work on and you know, try and keep the scoreboard ticking. That's something I think we all really wanted to work on in this match. And I'm happy that the whole batting unit could actually do that, and I think to start with Yastika - the way she batted in the power play - I think took a lot of pressure off me because even after losing three wickets we still had a score on the board.

Reporter: I had a couple of questions for you. My first question was there was this tweet today from Harleen Deol about you.****So just your thoughts on that and like you were very motivating even during the fifth ODI so your thoughts on that firstly, and secondly, just wanted to get your comment on Jhulan Goswami achieving the feat of being the highest ever wicket taker at ODI World Cup. So the contribution that she's made to this team over the years.

Smriti: Well, first, I would like to answer the second one first. Because I think something what we all are really proud of Jhulu Di - what she's achieved and to be the highest wicket taker for the World Cup in the world. I think that's a big achievement and we are really, really happy for her and really proud of her and we all get motivated a lot by her work ethics and the way she is on the field - even you know after so many years - that's something which she keeps motivating us. I'm really happy for her and a big congratulations to her. And I have not read the tweet yet, but yeah I think when Hari di walked in the situation was quite tricky so I didn't want to get her lose her focus. So I didn't really joke around at that time but I think once she got set - once she was in 30s and 40s - we both were actually having a lot of fun - after that we started talking a lot more after when she was set – after 25 and 30s. And I don't think that I needed to tell her because she was smiling a lot more than she generally does.

Reporter: Can you talk about the batting conditions? Did you find them different from the last time and easier to Bat on because there was some anticipation that it's going to slow down - the pitch is going to slow down in the second innings, but then we saw that Dottin and Matthew started really strong and were scoring at a very good rate. But after that 20 over mark - after those wickets fell did the pitch actually slow down at that time? Or was it just the pressure of the scoreboard that got rid of West Indies batters?

Smriti: Well, I think how much I batted on the wicket t was a very good wicket to bat on for pacers, but for spinners I think it was a holding a bit and I think they both got going when our pacers were bowling - so I think - we quickly went to spin - I think we put a little bit of a break on the scoring rate and I think we got few wickets after that. So I think the wicket was a little bit slow, like it was turning a bit for the spinners but for the pacers it was coming really good on the bat. So that's what our batting plan also was when we accessed the wicket I think around 10 - 12 so we understood what the wicket is playing and when Harman came, we discussed that as well. So yeah, I think they did give us a little bit of a heart attack in the first 10 overs but I'm sure - I'm really happy the way our bowlers came back.

Reporter: My question is that the way you batted with Harman in the middle, you know, there seems to be a great chemistry between both of you, the understanding seems to be built in - so there's a comfort level clearly Can you elaborate on that, like you've been battling with her I'm sure for a long time now. You know and also, how relieving is it for the team that she has come back into form, how sort of motivating it is for the team, how boosting it is for the team?

Smriti: Yeah, I think it's always fun to bat with Harry, we have batted a lot in T20s - I think in last six or seven years I've been part of- I've had a lot of partnerships with her and we always complement each other really well. So yeah, it's really fun to bat with her and I think we share a really good bond on and off the field and I think we all have a really good bond as a batting unit, so we all share a good bond when we bat, it just depends on the situation - like once we get set - I think like the jokes keep going after once we are set - so that's what happened today also that when we got set, we started joking around a bit more. And we started smiling a bit more.

Reporter: If you could tell us a bit about - once in the last game against New Zealand, what the discussions around whether this could be a campaign ending defeat of sorts, and when you pulled that stroke to deep midwicket on 96 and you were dropped what was going through your mind?

Smriti: Yeah, I think after the defeat I think we all were upset about the way we batted and we couldn't really get the team to 260 and win the match for the team but we all knew that it's a long tournament and one defeat cannot really change the things, because we've seen in this World Cups, the kind of matches are happening and kind of upsets are happening and we all know that the group is pretty much open so we all have to just, you know, not dwell much in what has happened in the past. We did mistakes - just what we can do in this sort of a tournament is learn from it come back quickly, and do whatever we can because I think something which is - work ethics is something which we can really work on and that's something which we all really believe in this group that if you keep working hard, we'll get our results and that's what I think we all discussed in the team meeting as well. And yeah I had a little bit of nervous 90’s today and yeah, I was a little nervous about that ball going up in the air and I prayed to two three gods – saying, please let the player drop it and then hopefully, yes she put it down. I should thank her actually, because otherwise I would have got out on 98 runs.

Reporter: So my question is that, as you already said, you have been playing with Harman for so long. Three of the Four ODI centuries for her has come in World Cups. What is it in the big tournaments that bring out the best of Harmanpreet?

Smriti: I think you should ask her that - from the outside I think when her back is towards the wall, I think that's when she comes the best out and that's something which I have seen - like her work ethics are really like up there. I think in the whole team I think she has one of the best work ethics and she keeps going even if she doesn't get the result, that's something which really gets her going. And yeah, as you said, I think World Cups are the place where she comes good and comes big and I think she'll be a better person to answer this question by herself.

Reporter: I wanted to ask on Harman - now that she's in form and she's put half century last game, now put 100 - How does that you know, sort of make the team more powerful going forward – do you feel that the batting order is now really sorted out and like you guys can actually go on and beat England in the next match as well. Now that you know you’ve got your form.

Smriti: I think in our mind, our batting order was always sorted. We all knew that we have been batting really well in last seven to eight months, we've been posting totals over 250 and obviously I think Harman scoring two back to back 50’s is going to give a lot of confidence to the middle order and I'm really happy for her, but other than that, I think we all were really confident as a batting unit - there was no question marks over it.