"Harmanpreet Kaur's bat remaining silent is a cause for concern" - Reema Malhotra on India's batting mistakes in 2nd T20I vs Australia

Reema Malhotra has picked Harmanpreet Kaur's poor recent returns as one of India's biggest concerns in the batting department.

Harmanpreet managed six runs off 12 deliveries as the Women in Blue set the Aussie women a 131-run target in the second T20I at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, January 7. Alyssa Healy and company chased down the below-par target with six wickets and an over to spare to draw level in the three-match series.

During a discussion on Sports 18, Malhotra was asked about the mistakes India committed in the batting department, to which she responded:

"Batters got starts but none of them ensured that they stood at one end and made a big score. The way Smriti Mandhana was batting, she looked in good nick to me after a long time, the sort of shorts she played. Short and sweet, she could have prolonged that knock."

The former India all-rounder added:

"The opening partnership didn't fire but Harmanpreet Kaur's bat remaining silent is a cause for concern. Harmanpreet Kaur generally plays the sweep shot but when you get the top edge, the ball goes in the air."

Harmanpreet was caught by Ellyse Perry at deep square leg off Ashleigh Gardner's bowling. The Indian skipper hasn't reached the double-digit mark in her last five innings across formats.

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"Harmanpreet Kaur's bat is not firing and Amanjot Kaur is not doing anything special" - Reema Malhotra on the need for other batters to play big knocks

Deepti Sharma top-scored for India with a 27-ball 30. [P/C: Getty]

Reema Malhotra pointed out that other batters need to compensate for the underperforming Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot Kaur. She elaborated:

"I am sure Amol Muzumdar will talk about it, that once a batter gets set, she should make sure that she plays a big knock because Harmanpreet Kaur's bat is not firing and Amanjot Kaur is not doing anything special in the middle."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the set batters need to play substantial knocks. She said:

"So two or three batters who are in rhythm on a given day need to ensure that they play big knocks. These are small problems that need to be rectified. The good thing is that India didn't play that bad cricket. They made some mistakes for sure but those are not ones that cannot be rectified."

Malhotra claimed that wrong shot selection also led to India's downfall. She pointed out that while Richa Ghosh played a nothing shot, playing a full delivery off the back foot, Pooja Vastrakar went for a reverse sweep although she plays well down the ground.