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Sanjay Manjrekar criticises Mithali Raj and co for Women`s World Cup final defeat, faces heat on Twitter
Indian skipper Mithali Raj admitted wilting under pressure in a tense run chase against England in the World Cup final but said they will walk out as a proud bunch.
New Delhi: After Indian team's 9-run defeat against England at the ICC Women's World Cup final, Indian cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Mithali Raj and a few other players, inviting trouble from Twitterati.
Indian eves, on Sunday, looked on course to clinch their maiden title before hosts England made a stunning comeback and won the ICC Women's World Cup final by 9 runs.
Chasing a tricky total of 229, Indian middle-order collapsed like a pack of cards, being bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs.
It was a case of so near yet so far for the Indian team who would be devastated having come within a sniffing distance of a historic triumph.
The last seven wickets fell for a mere 28 runs in 6.5 overs as India were cruising along at 191 for 3 at one stage before Veda Krishnamurthy's (35) atrocious shot selection brought the Englishwomen back into the game.
It was after opener Poonam Raut (86, 115 balls) anchored the innings while Harmanpreet Kaur hit a couple of sixes in her innings of 51.
Earlier, Natalie Sciver's 51 and Sarah Taylor's 45 laid the foundation for England's decent total of 228 for 7.
Reflecting on India's defeat, Manjrekar posted on Twitter, "If only Mithali had taken a better start, if only Harmanpreet had focussed more on 1s & 2s, if only Veda was not in such hurry....if only."
The former Indian cricketer's post didn't go down well with Twitterati, who were of the opinion that despite the defeat in final, Team India punched above their weight to even reach the final.
Manjrekar, later, also posted a series of Tweets on women's cricket.
Indian skipper Mithali Raj admitted wilting under pressure in a tense run chase against England in the World Cup final but said they will walk out as a proud bunch.
"Yes, I'm proud of the team. It wasn't easy for England but credit to them for keeping their nerves. There was a time where the match was in the balance, but we panicked and that led to our defeat," Raj said after the match.
(With PTI inputs)