Surprised that all my bowlers had an off day: Mithali Raj

Livid with her bowlers after the humiliating first-round exit from the Women's cricket World Cup, India captain Mithali Raj said their collective failure in the must-win group match against minnows Sri Lanka was a bolt from the blue for her.

India were crushed by 138 runs, failing to chase the imposing 282/5 set by Sri Lanka last night.

"All the bowlers were off colour today. We can expect one or two bowlers of colour a day but not all of them...I think honestly 280 is something I didn't expect Sri Lanka to score against us, the kind of bowling attack we had," Raj said after the drubbing.

"Against England also, we gave extra runs in the last session of our bowling department. Even today, after the power play overs in the last 10 overs, we gave away too many runs. It is obviously a concern area," she added.

India leaked more than 94 runs in the last 10 overs against Sri Lanka, helping them to post 282/5.

"The Sri Lankan batsmen scored most of their runs at square of the wicket. It shows as a bowler where you are bowling," she explained.

Asked if former captain and pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami let her down Raj said, "It is not that one player will score each and every day. Sometimes the others also have to support. She has done well against West Indies, she has done well against England. It was her off day."

"I didn't expect the rest of the bowlers to be off too. It happens sometime that when you know one bowler is there in the side, whom you have to watch and play. And if that bowler may not get the line and length on that particular day that doesn't mean she has let me down.

"She definitely has won some amazing games for India, so one bad match for her, the position she is in, I don't think she let me down," she said.

... contd.

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