Sneh Rana's comeback is inspirational for all of us, says Smriti Mandhana

India women's team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has called all-rounder Sneh Rana 'inspirational' after her comeback in all three formats of the game in the ongoing tour of England.

A late comeback by the spinners comprising Poonam Yadav, Sneh Rana, and Deepti helped India defeat England by eight runs in the second T20I. India and England will now lock horns in the series-deciding third and final T20I on Wednesday at Essex County Cricket Club.

Talking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Smriti Mandhana said: "Sneh Rana's comeback is very inspirational for all of us. I was part of the team when she last played and to see her come back this way in all three formats is very inspirational. When you are coming back you have an added pressure of doing well and proving yourself once again. She has performed in a way that she has crashed the door in all three formats of the game. And that's something that is very commendable.

"Her performing that way is gonna add a lot more balance in the team. Especially with the batting skills she has, she can hit the ball very well which will be very crucial for us in the upcoming months and years."

Speaking about Jhulan Goswami's presence in the dressing room, Smriti said: "Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj have an impact on the dressing room. With them, there is a sense of calm in the dressing room. And them cheering some youngster is definitely gonna boost their confidence."

Smriti further stated the importance of the second T20I win. "That win was definitely important. The way we came back in the last 5 overs, bowlers and fielders showed character. Harmanpreet hitting a few balls was very good for the Indian team. That win also put us in the position to win the T20I series.

"We had discussions on how to get better in middle and death overs. We are losing two wickets at a time and that is something that put a brake on to run rate. We have to work this out as a team as it put pressure on the two new batters. Hopefully, we better our mistakes in tomorrow's match."

The 24-year-old spoke about the 'department' India needs to improve on for the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup which is scheduled to be held in New Zealand in March and April 2022.

"Lots of things we have to work on as a team, especially in the batting department, going forward next seven months are gonna be very crucial. We have to start putting up good scores. In ODI we have to start posting 250 or 260 plus scores consistently. That's what we have to work on. The Australian series is also going to be big for the preparations."

Smriti then talked about her teammates Shafali Verma and Richa Gosh, she said, "It's been 1.5-2 years that I and Shafali have been opening in T20I. And from this tour, we have been opening in ODI's and Test too. It's fun opening the partnership with her. Our communication during the match is very helpful. And yeah we have to carry our good start to at least 15th over."

"Richa Gosh has improved massively on her keeping. I can see her working hard, even when Test and ODI were on she was working on her skills and that is also showing off in the match. She with the gloves can be very useful for the combination and balance of our team," she said.

( With inputs from ANI )