Devine lauds NZ's fighting spirit on 'physically and mentally draining' day

An opening World Cup game. Against the world champions. New Zealand trying to cross the 300 barrier for the first time while chasing. A deflating record of 15 consecutive ODI losses against Australia from the last eight years hanging over their head. And sapping heat and humidity at the end of the monsoon season in Indore that took a lot out of Sophie Devine, who had fielded for nearly 50 overs and bowled eight overs under the sun.

If pressure could take different shapes and sizes, it did for the New Zealand captain in their opening World Cup clash against Australia, which resulted in an 89-run loss after she batted for over two-and-a-half hours for a fighting and valiant century, her ninth in the format. Soon after she wrung out the last drop of energy from her 36-year-old body after being on the field for 91.1 overs on an exacting evening, Devine said it was "probably the most demanding" game she played in her 19-year ODI career that will end with this World Cup.

"I'll just say come and feel my shirt, I think you'll see how tough that was," Devine said about her sweat-soaked jersey having walked in for the press conference only minutes after the match ended. "But I guess that's the thing that I probably took strength from, is the work that the girls have done over the last six to 12 months, it's been exactly for a knock like that, it's the hard stuff that no one sees behind closed doors and every single one of this group has been slogging away, making sure that they're fit and ready to be able to go out there and do a job like I was able to do today.

"So I'm incredibly proud that, well I was probably a little bit slow towards the end getting a bit tired and things, but I know every one of our players wants to be there and wants to be contributing throughout the full 100 overs. So to answer your question, yeah, I think it probably was the most demanding; running around in the field, bowling, trying to keep the Aussies under 400. So yeah, I think both physically and mentally as well, it was pretty draining."

Devine had the arduous task of rescuing her team from the pits of 0 for 2 in the second over in a chase of 327, even if on a flat surface in what was the first women's international in Indore. Devine first made sure she found her feet against the accurate bowling of the Australian attack that swung and turned the ball under the lights, and tried to ensure New Zealand had a somewhat gettable equation towards the end. Her steady half-century came off 69 balls before she raced from 50 to 100 in just 38 balls even as no other team-mate who batted lower than her crossed 30. When Brooke Halliday holed out for 28, New Zealand needed a stiff 200 runs from the last 20. Maddy Green lasted just 18 balls, and it was Devine's rapid partnership of 54 in 35 balls for the sixth wicket that saw Isabella Gaze take the lead with six fours that saw New Zealand claw back in the game as some tense Australian faces started to appear on the field and in the dugout.

They fell short by a distance in the end as Gaze and Devine were dismissed in the space of 13 balls and New Zealand lasted just two more runs after that.

"Just happy with the fight this team showed, a couple of years ago we would have thrown the towel in pretty early," Devine said at the presentation. "It shows the mindset of the group that we stay in the fight."

New Zealand would have thought earlier in the game they had a golden chance of downing the world champions early in the tournament when they had Australia on 128 for 5 in the 22nd over. But Ashleigh Gardner struck a counter-attacking 115 off just 83 balls to power Australia to their highest ODI score opposite New Zealand after turning the tables on them.

"The fact that we got them in that position is really pleasing and really positive for us," Devine said. "It is though, about finding ways that we can really put the foot on the throat and skittle them for 200-250 and that's looking like a different game. I think that's probably shown the most resilience from this White Ferns side, do you know what I mean? That despite being two down for nothing, we still keep coming out.

"The fight and the resilience shown just to knuckle down rather than throw our wickets, it's something I'm really proud of for this group and the way the likes of Izzy Gaze came out to bat, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, the way that people just keep going to their strengths and taking the game on, that's something that I spoke at an earlier press conference, it's about how we play this game. Yes, results are important and we want to win, but the way that we played tonight, it's made me really proud and I certainly know that we can keep pushing the best teams in the world really hard. But also we can be at the business end of the tournament if we can make sure that we're playing good cricket for longer periods of time."

New Zealand have five days to rest, assess and prepare in Indore before their next game against South Africa on October 6. They would perhaps want that their younger players step up too and not leave the heavy lifting for the seniors, as Devine, Lea Tahuhu (3 for 42) and Amelia Kerr (2 for 54 and 33) were their top performers against Australia.

"I think to win a World Cup, it's going to take 15 players, and at different stages it's going to be different people," Devine said about what she expected from the squad. "Expectations are there that everyone wants to be the one that stands up and takes responsibility, and today, you mentioned it, the experienced players are the ones, but I've got full faith that anyone in that 15 can go out and win a game for us. And to have that belief and confidence and trust in the group, I think that's something that's really special about this group, and I know that everyone feels that too, is that despite the loss today, we pushed the world champs pretty hard, and we got them nervous at different times there, which it doesn't happen often.

"So, absolutely, I know at different stages different people are going to stand up in this group, and it's going to be their time, and that's what we've spoken about - when it's your day, you really be selfish, and you take control of it, and you be the one to get this team over the line."