It would be imperative for senior players to put in a stellar effort when India faces New Zealand in their Women’s T20 World Cup opening Group A match on Friday as they look to make a statement and erase the scars of the previous editions. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, very likely to feature in her last ever T20 World Cup, has seen and is seeing the team come close numerous times but frustratingly fail, the latest being the final vs. Australia in Melbourne in 2020, where India was defeated.
This present Indian team, like it has always been in the past, is packed with so much potential and, some would say, only Australia can boast of a better machine.
Only that the defending champions have had time to win six of those and India’s is still at the moment gathering dust.
So this begs the question of why India international tournaments. In all probability even then it is more a matter of soft mental if the situation gets dicey. And this they sought to do during a preparatory period at the NCA by incorporating a few counselling sessions.
Yet, such external measures can only be of limited help in big tournaments because, at the end of the day, it all depends on the successful implementation of plans on that particular day.
In this scenario, India couldn’t have asked for a better opponent in New Zealand, an undistinguished team by non Comparatives or superlatives like its trans-tasman neighbors. But they are as tough as they have ever been being two time runners-up.
Thus, a victory against them could perhaps be regarded as a tactical and a psychological fitness check of the boundless kind and that is what is expected by India of herself in a group that has Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
To begin with, India must rely upon their heavy artillery – the 35-year-old Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma.
Of the above, Shafali and Mandhana seem to be in roaring form as they scored runs in their previous international match during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in July although India lost to the host nation in the finals.
This is the most important aspect than anything else as the pitches in UAE are extremely hot at the moment and will not be very friendly to runs in particular towards the latter stages of the competition.
Nevertheless, the anticipated tiredness of the surface, on the other hand, will work to India’s advantage in terms of their bowling – which is spin.
Their squad has but three pace bowlers – Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Arundhati Reddy.
Most likely, India will field only two of these players and will have an abundance of spin bowlers instead.
India has a remarkable depth in that aspect. The off break attack will be led by Deepti and Shreyanka Patil, who will be complemented by leg spinner Asha Shobana and left arm spinner Radha Yadav.
Yet the Kiwis boast a healthy mix of oldies and youngsters, the latter of whom can help them overcome such impediments.
At the center of this New Zealand unit is their dynamic captain Sophie Devine, veteran all-rounder Suzie Bates, and seasoned fast bowlers Lea Tahuhu and Leigh Kasperek.
Mix in the thrilling new all-rounder Amelia Kerr, and they have the potential to pull off a surprise or two in this tournament.
Yet outside of this core, the Kiwis are a little wet behind the ears and that may prove to be their Achilles Heel.
Teams:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia (subject to fitness), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.
The match starts at 7.30 PM IST.
