Indian women look to level ODI series vs Oz
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Our senior batsmen need to step up. Our fielding also needs improvement and we need to bowl according to the field.
HARMANPREET KAUR, all-rounder
VADODARA: India will have to rectify their shortcomings when they face Australia in a must-win second game of the three-match series, which is part of the ICC Women’s ODI Championship.
The hosts were given a rude shock in the series opener where Australia romped to an eightwicket win with almost 18 overs to spare. The Indian batsmen will have to do a lot better than what they managed against the Australian spinners, who shared eights wickets between them on Monday. The bowlers expectedly were unable to defend a modest 201-run target and they were let down by not just the batting but also the fielding.
If it weren’t for the 76-run eighth wicket stand between Sushma Verma and Pooja Vastrakar, the home team could have been humiliated further.
Captain Mithali Raj’s absence also hurt India who would be hoping to have her fit for the crunch game. “You can’t expect the lower-order to put up a competitive total. Our senior batsmen need to step up. Our fielding also needs improvement and we need to bowl according to the field,” stand-in captain Harmanpreet Kaur said after the loss.
The experienced opening combination of Smriti Mandhana and Poonam Raut will have to ensure a solid start to the innings. 17-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues could not do much on her ODI debut and it remains to be seen if she keeps her place after Mithali’s return.
GOSWAMI FOR T20S
Jhulan Goswami was named in the team for the T20 tri-series involving Australia and England with Harmanpreet Kaur back as captain. The tri-series will be played between March 22-31. Taniya Bhatia will keep the wickets just like she had done during the South Africa T20s while there aren’t too many changes. Smriti Mandhana will be Harmanpreet’s deputy. T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana , Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram.