Smriti Mandhana interview | COVID-19 lockdown and Double Trouble days
From the confines of her home in Sangli, 400km from Mumbai, Smriti Mandhana admits that she feels less of the work-related stress due to the lockdown. After a successful 2018, India's T20I vice-captain thinks she has not been at her best since.
With the 50-over World Cup coming up next year and no cricket for a few months, the 23-year-old left-hander is fine-tuning a few aspects of her game. In a chat with The New Indian Express' Srinidhi PR, Mandhana opens up on her life on and off the field.
Excerpts:
What is your routine these days?
If I have a cardio session, I get up early and sleep at around 11.30-12 pm. If it is a weights session, I sleep at around 2 am and train at 5-6.30 pm. It depends on what's lined up. Now we're a bit busy because Jemi (Jemimah Rodrigues) and I are doing a show (Double Trouble). We also have other video interviews.
Have you picked up new hobbies?
Not a hobby, but Jemi and I are hosting a show. We are giving interviews. That's a new thing. It's a confidence booster since we're not used to interviewing others. That's keeping us busy.
How has life been during the lockdown?
There is no pollution. You hardly get this kind of time when there is no stress. We don't have to think about what will happen in tomorrow's match or how a practice session will go, or worry about injuries before a tournament. Work-related stress has reduced. I don't think we've stayed at home for a month. When I had a toe injury during the South Africa series (last October), I was home for a fortnight. Otherwise, it is a shuttle between Mumbai and Sangli for some commitment or tour.
I've never lived without batting for three days. I still get up at 2 am and play. Even after my toe injury and when I had just started walking, the first thing I did was to take my bat and see if I could go on the front foot and back foot. I was scolded by my physiotherapist. But yeah, it's not about batting well or badly. Going out and hitting balls make me feel good. I miss it.
When you are on tour, you miss being home. When you are home, you miss cricket. The human mind is like that. But I don't complain. I'm eating well, doing workouts properly. I shadow-bat for my satisfaction. Sometimes, I ask my brother to throw balls, just to feel good. Right now, I want to spend time with my parents and be their daughter.
Your thoughts on the T20 World Cup?
We played good cricket. Our bowling and fielding stood up. Fielding was much better in league matches. We weren't up to the mark in the final. But our bowlers did well. It was a good campaign with a young team. The fact that Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur) and I didn't score and yet we won all four matches (league stage) speaks a lot. It was a bit disappointing that I couldn't contribute. But it was a complete team effort.
What was the conversation in the dressing room like after the final?
When the other team is celebrating on the stage, it hurts. We didn't do well. It wasn't even close. It hurt more because we didn't put up a fight. We spoke about the campaign and what we could have done better. It went on for five, 10 minutes. We didn't discuss much. Left it to players to introspect. I feel that's better. Players were given their own space to understand their game. It was better to sit in a corner, buy yourself time and think about it yourself.
What was going on in your mind?
For an hour or two, I was thinking how I could have done better, how the team could have played better. After this kind of a loss, the motivation level goes down. That's why I don't ruminate over it for a long time. After every World Cup, I write in my diary so that I can share it with my father, brother and coach. Then the next cycle of preparation starts. Now, we have a World Cup almost every year. It's not that I feel completely better when I write such things down. But it helps me understand it's not that bad after all.
Did you get any feedback from your father and brother after the World Cup?
We spoke about my performance. My shot selection and stance were the same, but there were things that I did differently. They weren't happy with the way I batted. We saw a lot of my old videos. I shadow-batted in front of them. We also discussed about my bat, if it is working or not, and if I should go back to the one I used before. I had changed a few things in my bat.
Do you carry that diary on every tour, or only World Cups?
I carry it everywhere, but don't write after every match. If something bothers me, if I'm happy about something, if there's something I need to work on, or if I want to remember some aspects of my batting, I note that down. A lot of people know that I forget things easily. This is to keep a check on my batting. I'm not a person who shares my stuff with many people. I just keep that to myself. So it feels good to maintain a diary.
When did this habit start?
The first World Cup I played was in 2014 (Bangladesh). We lost to Sri Lanka. I was 17. When I was on a flight, I wrote three pages on things I needed to improve. I remember writing: "Work on all your shots". It began then. When I went for the Women's Big Bash League and Kia Super League two, three years ago, I wrote down the things that excited and bothered me. When I see the list after returning home, it helps massively.
Do you have a tendency to over-think when in the middle?
Not really. Only when I don't get a good feel of my batting, I think a lot. But that's necessary. Otherwise, how will I improve? I don't complicate things. It's not even about how many runs I score. If I'm batting well in the nets, I will be in a good space. If I'm not playing well in the nets, my self-expectation is so high that I feel bad. Not contributing and not winning bother me, not how people criticise. Criticism turns into appreciation in one match. I don't pay attention to that.
Do you think India has a mental block when it comes to World Cups?
Not all of us were nervous about playing a World Cup final. Generally, we would have that feeling. But we were a bit relaxed this time. We couldn't come back into the game after (Alyssa) Healy started hitting. I don't think it was a mental block.
Former cricketers, even Mithali Raj, have spoken about having a sports psychologist...
I've never worked with one. I can't comment without knowing whether it will work or not. You won't know if it will have an impact. But it's worth trying if there is scope for improvement. Someone like a counsellor might be helpful. We have to see if it works.
How is WV Raman as a coach?
He understands our mindset. It's always good to work with a coach who knows what you are feeling at the moment. Throughout the World Cup, he tried to not mention the words "World Cup" during team meetings. He'd say: "Okay. We're playing a tournament". Such things ease pressure. It's a small thing but it will do a world of good, mentally. There are many more small things that he does which help a lot. It's amazing to work with him.
How is opening with Shafali Verma like?
I've had a lot of partners in T20s. It was a bit different with Shafali. She makes batting look easy. She goes hard from the first ball. With her, it wasn't like I tried something different and got out (in the World Cup). I might have pulled those shots off on any other day. It just didn't come off. With Shafali, even if my shots don't come off, I have the cushion to go for singles.
Tell us more about your approach in T20 powerplays?
If I'm not in the best of form, I just react to the ball. That has worked for me. I'm not a six-hitter. I won't be one. Powerplay is all about finding gaps. That's my strategy: play around the field and manipulate fielders. I don't prefer taking on fielders in the deep. Ho gaya toh ho gaya (If I clear them, it's by luck).
Six-hitting is not my strength. If I can get the same strike-rate with fours, why will I go for sixes? That's the point. My intent is to take on fielders in the circle. If I connect well, it goes for a six. Unless it's the death overs, I don't challenge fielders in the deep. If you have most of the shots in the book, you can manipulate the field.
Do you think this break is good in the context of next year's World Cup?
You can do that on and off the tour as well. Sometimes, even when you are not doing anything you will end up thinking a lot. I won't say that this is going to help us in a great way. Yes, you are spending time with family. For people who've had niggles in the long season, this is a good time to recover. They will come back fresh, body-wise. Mentally, it is up to the players. Sometimes, I don't feel fine even after scoring 60 runs. Sometimes, I'm okay even if I've scored 10 or 20. It depends on what mind space you are in. You can pause everything on tour also. Physically, we will be fresh going into the next tournament because we have not had this kind of break where we do good workouts and then rest the whole day.
How has your batting evolved since 2018?
The comfort with which I batted in 2018, was missing in 2019. Even though I wasn't in the best of form, I got runs before the T20 World Cup. Batting-wise, I've gone down 10 per cent. Mentally, I've improved massively. I've understood a lot about the game and myself. I'm aware of where my focus should be, areas I need to improve.
What are the areas the team needs to focus on for the World Cup?
We talked about improving our fielding after the World Cup. It wins a lot of matches in T20s. Even in ODIs, if you can stop 40-odd runs, that will play a major role. Especially in New Zealand, where wickets are flat. We also need to work on running between the wickets. In ODIs, we depend a lot on singles and doubles. Converting them into extra runs can boost totals by 20-30 odd. These things can make a huge difference in a World Cup.
Do you feel that rustiness might creep in, since there's no cricket for the time being?
The last time I experienced something similar was during my knee injury (2017). I didn't bat for nearly four months. After that, I performed well. Sometimes, a break can do good things. You'll just forget everything. When you go out to bat, it's like starting afresh. You have no baggage. I don't know how this will be for me. Hopefully, it works like it did then. The way I batted in the T20 World Cup, if I could forget that and start fresh, it will be good.