Fox Cricket expert MEL JONES casts her eye over India’s line-up for the series
INDIA will head into a historic series against Australia in ominous form after a big multi-format series against England.
While the Aussies have enormous depth, India also has plenty of stars — including Test and one-day captain Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, the leading runscorer and wicket-taker in world cricket. This is an important series for them, particularly the one-day internationals given they provide head-to-head competition against the best team in the world leading into the World Cup.
Raj and Goswami have their eyes set on this World Cup being their swan song and if India is to win its first title in that format, the pair will need to play a big part. India is well positioned to take on the games against Australia, with aggressive top-order batters Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana (pictured right) able to set up the innings for India in all three formats.
Verma is the 17-year-old wunderkind who debuted at just 15 and can change the game in the blink of an eye but is still looking for a way to do that consistently over a series. And look out when she does.
And Mandhana is a stylish, classical player but has a smooth power game as well.
If they can set up the top of the order, that certainly gives them a platform from which their bowlers can come in and spin a web or they can use their pace bowlers depending on the pitches and conditions in Queensland.
Both teams know this series is critical preparation for the World Cup as well, particularly the onedayers, the players will be wanting to put their hands up.
It’s not a focus point for Australia but its 24 ODI consecutive-win streak could be under pressure, too.
When a player in great form gets going — like a Mandhana, a Verma or a Jemimah Rodrigues — you could be facing a chase of 280 in the first game and there’ll be pressure on an
Australian squad that hasn’t been out in the middle competitively since playing New Zealand in April.
This summer will be huge for the Aussies, with the multi-format series against India leading into the WBBL and then an Ashes series and a World Cup.
This is the new era of women’s cricket, exactly where we want to be where there’s a fuller schedule and the athletes are playing more than they’re training.
Because of that, though, there’s going to be a completely different view of how to manage things.
Everyone hates that word management, but with the overlaying factors of bubbles and Covid life, it’s going to be a challenge for everyone.
In a series comprising three oneday internationals, a Test and three T20s, Australia’s dominance could come under pressure, particularly against a team like India.
And if you’re playing at relatively unknown grounds like Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena and on the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, where you get a pitch you haven’t read well or a 50/50 coin toss doesn’t start well, you could be behind the eight ball.
The chance to play Test cricket as well as shorter formats has the opportunity to bring out the best in the entire squad.
And it will showcase the ability of players to adapt quickly and find solutions out in the middle.
The series is a wonderful challenge for Aussie skipper Meg Lanning.
Lanning doesn’t get the opportunity to captain fourday cricket all that much and a lot of the Test results will come down to tactics and the captain’s nous and bravery to make big decisions in big moments out in the middle.
India’s biggest threat
A lot of it will come down to the batters at the top of the order. Verma and Mandhana set the tone for this Indian side. They’re both very aggressive players who want to take the game on.
The match-up between these openers and our pace bowling attack, will be key to the outcome of the series. Between Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown, Ellyse Perry coming back and Annabel Sutherland, it’s exciting because we know the pitches in India don’t offer a lot of pace and bounce and that’s going to be one of the strengths of the Australian squad.
Emerging Indian rookie
She may have debuted in 2014 but Sneh Rana is back again and she was brilliant in England.
Between coming up against a rampant Sophie Devine in Bangalore and injuries, Rana’s international career was cut short but she went away, worked on her bowling and just kept producing good domestic results and got back in.