India women aim to improve batting form, salvage pride in final T20

HAMILTON: An improved batting performance will be foremost on skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s mind when India women, seeking a consolation win, face New Zealand in the third and final T20I here on Sunday.

After winning the ODI series 2-1, Indian women lost the T20 series. With an aim to build a squad for ICC World T20 in 2020, the Indian team management decided to drop Mithali Raj.

NO EXPERIENCE

Only time will tell whether this call pays dividends in the long run but the results were far from encouraging in the first two matches that India lost by 23 runs and four wickets respectively.

“We are building a team. Today, we may be facing difficulties but in future we will do well as the young players gain experience. I think the future is good for the team and results will follow,” skipper Harmanpreet had said after conceding the series.

In both games, whether chasing or batting first, India were stuck in the sub-140 mark, which is below par against a top team like New Zealand.

The biggest problem has been the lack of fight from the middleorder, barring Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, top scorers in the first two games respectively. Debutant Priya Punia’s lack of experience and Harmanpreet’s lack of form -- she scored 17 and 5 -- too are concerns.

SQUAD FOR ENG ODIS

A 15-member squad captained by Mithali Raj was announced on Saturday for the three-match ODI series against England, to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 22, 25 and 28. The ODIS are a part of the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship .

Squad: Mithali Raj (captain), Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), R Kalpana (wicket-keeper), Mona Meshram, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi, Punam Raut.