India will also play an afternoon game against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on October 6. \u201cThe afternoon game is going to be a challenge due to the heat, but when you play for India, there are no excuses. You have to prepare well, and I think we have a couple of afternoon sessions lined up to help us get used to the conditions.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"By the time we face Pakistan, I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be ready. Mentally, we need to stay strong and keep pushing, staying hydrated is key. It hasn\u2019t been easy. Coming from India, we are somewhat used to the heat compared to other teams, but the first couple of days were really tiring.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I\u2019m sure by the time we reach our first match, we\u2019ll be better adjusted to the conditions. The preparation has been really good. We had an amazing camp in Bangalore before coming to Dubai, where we tried to cover all bases. Now, it's just about fine-tuning everything before we get going,\" said Smriti to broadcasters Star Sports.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Talking about the India-Pakistan rivalry in women\u2019s cricket, Smriti remarked, \u201cI think the India-Pakistan rivalry is more about the emotions of the fans than anything else. It\u2019s not like the players don\u2019t talk to each other; it\u2019s the emotions from both nations that make it so intense.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"For me, every World Cup match is special, and we put the same amount of effort into each game. But there\u2019s definitely a lot of emotion attached to the India-Pakistan games,\" she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India will also be facing Australia and Sri Lanka in their Group A games. \"Every game in the World Cup is important, and you have to give your 100% in each one. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are strong teams, but with Australia, you know you can\u2019t afford to make mistakes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"You have to bring your best game on that particular day to get the better of them. There\u2019s always excitement when facing Australia because they\u2019re such a good team, and beating them is a great challenge,\" added Smriti.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The left-handed opener, whose cricketing idols were Kumar Sangakkara and Meg Lanning, said she has a lot of fun in opening the batting with Shafali Verma. \"It\u2019s a lot of fun opening with Shafali. The conversations between us are pretty funny. I hope the mic never catches them because they can be really random!<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"We've been opening together for the last 2-3 years and know each other\u2019s game really well. Many times, we don\u2019t even need to talk; we can just communicate with gestures. There\u2019s a great bond between us, and if we get going in the powerplay, it\u2019s always good for the team.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking about playing under Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti signed off by saying, \u201cIt\u2019s been amazing to be on this journey with Harman since my debut. Over the last 8-9 years, we\u2019ve seen how much women\u2019s cricket has grown.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"We've been opening together for the last 2-3 years and know each other\u2019s game really well. Many times, we don\u2019t even need to talk; we can just communicate with gestures. There\u2019s a great bond between us, and if we get going in the powerplay, it\u2019s always good for the team.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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