Mithali Raj-led India look to end England jinx
› We do reflect on the last series we played vs England. We can’t be in awe of them and have to think of ourselves as equal. MITHALI RAJ, India captain
MUMBAI: For all the strides the Indian women’s cricket team has made in the last two years, it has struggled to get over the line against one team — England. Be it the ODI World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 or the Women’s World T20 semi-final at the North Sound in the West Indies last year, India came a cropper against England on crunch occasions.
On Friday, when Mithali Raj and Co step out to take on their bogey opponents in the first of the three-match ODI series at the Wankhede Stadium, they will look to overcome this mental hurdle and take a lead that often proves decisive in a short series.
“We do reflect on the last series we played against England. However, we can’t be in awe of them and have to think of ourselves as equal,” said Raj on the eve of the opening ODI here on Thursday.
India will also look to shore up their position in the ICC Rankings further with the series being part of the ICC Championship. Currently ranked No 3 in the world, the team needs to be in the top-four till 2020 to get direct qualification for the 2021 World Cup.
Since the side is unlikely to play Pakistan during this period owing to Indian government’s decision to sever all cricketing ties citing the neighbouring nation’s alleged involvement in cross-border terrorism, Mithali believes it is important for her team to make the most of every game.“being number three right now, it is very important because points are at stake. Last time we were three points short and had to play qualifiers. We have this in mind that we might not play Pakistan, so whatever matches we play, we need to keep in mind that,” said the 36-year-old.
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNGSTERS
Going into the series, the home side would be buoyed having secured an overseas ODI series win in New Zealand recently. The absence of star batter and vicecaptain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been ruled out due to an injury, has come a setback for the side, but the skipper believes it gives opportunity for youngsters to prove their mettle.
India would rely on dashing opener Smriti Mandhana and local girl Jemimah Rodrigues to give them a solid start at the top of the order. In bowling, the team will hope their spinners led by Poonam Yadav are able to stifle the opposition in the middle overs.