News India Live, Digital Desk: Cricket, especially T20, is not just a game of strength, it is also a game of mind. A small decision either makes you a hero or keeps you up all night thinking, “I wish I had done that at that time.” Ashley Gardner, one of the best all-rounders in the world and star player of Gujarat Giants, is feeling similar regrets these days. Recently, she has made a big revelation while remembering an old but important match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). This matter is related to Indian captain and Mumbai Indians’ strong batsman Harmanpreet Kaur. “I should have held the ball myself.” We all know what a brilliant off-spinner Ashley Gardner is. But he admitted in an interview that he did not use himself (ie his bowling) properly against Harmanpreet Kaur. Gardner unabashedly said that at one point, when Harmanpreet Kaur was getting set, he himself, as a captain or lead bowler, should have come into the attack, but he did not do so. Gardner admitted that he ‘under-utilised’ himself. He said, “There was an occasion where I felt that my matchup could have been good against Harmanpreet, but I did not come to bowl.” Why is this a big mistake? In cricket language it is called ‘matchup’. Statistics show that Harmanpreet Kaur struggles against off-spin at times. Gardner had the art to trap Harman. But, perhaps under some pressure or under some other strategy, he himself did not bowl. What was the result? If you give a player like Harmanpreet a chance to get set, she will take the match away from you, and that is exactly what happened. Gardner’s belief that “I could have changed the situation there” shows that she is a player who learns from her mistakes. Every decision matters in the WPL. In a big tournament like the WPL, where the best players in the world face each other, you cannot give the opposing captain any slack. This statement of Gardner is very important before the new season. This suggests that we may see Ashley Gardner in a different aggressive style in the coming matches. Now she will hardly let any batsman go easily, especially Harmanpreet Kaur.
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