India will be hoping to resolve their batting brittleness in their quest to win the third and final women’s ODI and seal the series against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

Radha Yadav was a Superwoman who flew like a bird to pluck unbelievable catches. She was a spinner who dismissed key batters and finished her spell with four wickets.

She has been playing those roles with aplomb for India for some time now. But, she isn’t used to playing her team’s longest innings.

She came in at No. 9, with India reeling at 102 of seven, chasing 260 against New Zealand in the second ODI on Sunday. She was the last woman out for 48, as India crashed to a 76-run defeat.

Cause for concern

This was not just the highest score by an Indian in the match, but in the series as well, so far. That could be a cause for concern for India as it takes on New Zealand in the third and deciding ODI in Ahmedabad on Tuesday (October 29, 2024).

It is not that the wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium is treacherous. And it certainly isn’t average — the rating given by the ICC for the wicket used at this ground for last year’s men’s World Cup final between India and Australia.

There are runs to be made there — New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine showed how in the second ODI.

Though Devine is someone who would like to smash the bowlers out of the park from ball one — remember her astounding 36-ball 99 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL last year? — she chose to play with determination, scoring at a strike-rate of close to 92.

Devine wasn’t the only Kiwi batter to impress. Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer and Maddy Green also batted sensibly, as had Brooke Halliday in the first ODI.

In that opening game, Shafali Verma’s strokes had helped India score more than 90 in 15 overs, but it had taken a couple of fine knocks in the lower middle-order, from debutante Tejal Hasabnis and Deepti Sharma, to help the team make a respectable total. So, the likes of Smriti Mandhana, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues have to spend more time in the middle.

The bowlers were really good in the first game, though they were less effective in the second. The spin from Deepti and Radha has worked, and the new seamer Saima Thakor has been a welcome addition.

They may not mind more runs from their batting colleagues, though.

The Teams (from):

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Radha Yadav, Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, Amanjot Kaur, Anjali Sarvani, Taniyaa Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia.

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Lauren Down, Brooke Halliday, Katey Martin (WK), Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Fran Jonas, Hannah Rowe, Molly Penfold, Lea Tahuhu, Izzy Gaze, Georgia Plimmer.

Match starts at 1:30pm IST.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur in action during the second ODI against New Zealand women in Ahmedabad on October 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged the urgent need to address her team’s batting woes following their 76-run loss to New Zealand in the second women’s ODI in Ahmedabad on Sunday (October 27, 2024).

Indian batters flattered to deceive as they were all out for 183 runs in 47.1 overs while chasing a target of 260. Radha Yadav top-scored with 48 off 64 balls, while Saima Thakor scored 29 and captain Harmanpreet Kaur 24.

“We weren’t up to the mark. These girls look ready and keen to do well for the country. Batting is something that we really need to work on and if we do that we can win the series,” Kaur said after the match.

“I think we gave away too many runs and dropped too many catches but I think it was still a chaseable target but we didn’t bat well. Good to see Radha and Saima do well with bat. We kept losing wickets in the chase. We will look to build partnerships next game.” The final match will be played here on Tuesday. India had won the first match by 59 runs.

Opting to bat, New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine struck 79 off 86, striking seven fours and a six while stitching a vital partnership of 82 runs for the fifth wicket with Maddy Green (42 off 41 balls) to lift New Zealand to a challenging 259 for nine.

Devine also excelled with the ball, finishing with figures of 3/27 as New Zealand’s bowlers combined to dismiss India for 183 runs, built around No. 9 Radha Yadav’s fighting 48.

“Pretty happy with the way the game went. We spoke about playing good cricket for long periods and we did that. We spoke about making sure to build partnerships. The way Green and Gaze came out and played got us to a competitive score after the platform was set early on,” Devine, who was named player of the match, said.

“It’s always hard when you lose someone of the quality of Amelia Kerr. When you are taking regular wickets it helps that you can have faith in the other bowlers available to you. It is about backing up performances like tonight. Exciting challenge awaits us on Tuesday.”

Aiming for glory: Muzumdar will be banking on Harmanpreet’s experience to come to the fore.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

She has been the torch-bearer of India’s transition onto the big stage – combining textbook batting with power-hitting – for a decade and a half.

Come next week, Harmanpreet Kaur will join a band of Super Six to have featured in each of the nine ICC Women’s T20 World Cup editions.

While Harmanpreet will be the only Indian to have achieved the feat, others in the club will include Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Sophie Devine (England), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Ellyse Perry (Australia) and Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka).

More than being proud of being the only Indian woman – and second India cricketer – to have achieved the feat, Harmanpreet is focused on using all her experience to help fulfil her dream of lifting an elusive ICC trophy.

“I have played so many World Cups and that experience and atmosphere is totally different to any other tournament,” Harmanpreet, the India captain, said before the squad departed for the United Arab Emirates late on Tuesday.

“I am going with the same excitement as I had when I was just a 19-year-old. I just want to go there and enjoy myself. I know now I have so much experience with me.”

In fact, there is no dearth of experience in Harmanpreet’s team that has set out to attain glory. Only three cricketers from India’s 15-member squad are yet to feature in a T20 World Cup.

Harmanpreet’s form, though, has been wobbly of late. Perhaps it’s got to do with her decision to push herself slightly down the order in recent games. The captain has managed to notch up just two fifties since the last T20 World Cup. Her T20I numbers since then include 368 runs from 17 innings (22 matches) at a strike rate of 116.

But Harmanpreet is not at all concerned with her form. “I know what the pressure is like and how I am going to handle it. (It is about playing) with full freedom and just not thinking about the result.”

The only Indian man to have featured in every T20 World Cup so far – Rohit Sharma – did change a lot of things and lifted the trophy as captain in June. Will Harmanpreet repeat the feat next month?

India Women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

The last time India’s women cricketers played in an international match may have been two months ago. Having worked on the team and the individuals, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and head coach Amol Muzumdar stressed in unison that the squad was ready to achieve its ultimate objective of a World Cup triumph next month.

“For us, preparation matters a lot. We want to win the World Cup and we are looking for positive results. But at the same time, process matters a lot and in the last couple of weeks, we have really worked hard and are looking forward for the World Cup,” Harmanpreet said here on Tuesday, hours before the squad’s scheduled departure to United Arab Emirates for the T20 World Cup. The women’s T20 World Cup – having been moved from Bangladesh to UAE due to internal issues in Bangladesh – will be played from October 4 to 24.

Muzumdar concurred. “As far as preparations are concerned, we are absolutely prepared for anything and everything. All I can say is that we are ready to fly to Dubai.”

Despite being a regular in the knockouts in World Cup of both the formats, India’s women are yet to emerge triumphant in a World Cup. Perhaps in a bid to break the knockouts hoodoo, renowned sports psychologist Mugdha Bavare was roped in during the preparatory camp in Bengaluru.

Harmanpreet explained that the sessions with Bavare focused on delivering as a team, while Muzumdar added that Bavare’s previous stints with the women’s squad helped a great deal.

With India’s last international game being played in July in Sri Lanka, Muzumdar stated that the last 15-day camp with five warm-games have helped the girls be match-ready.

“We had five games in 10 days, so if you ask for game-time, we have ticked that box. And we played some very competitive games. There were different oppositions, there were different skill-sets that were chosen for those particular games. So as far as game time is concerned, I think we are on it.”

Women’s cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar with captain Harmanpreet Kaur address the pre-departure press conference ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, in Mumbai, on September 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The feeling of near misses has haunted Harmanpreet Kaur for long but the Indian captain feels that her team has ticked all the boxes in its bid to cross the line in the Women’s T20 World Cup beginning in the UAE from October 3.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2009, India have managed to reach the final only once — in 2020 when they lost to nemesis Australia. India have also played Women’s ODI World Cup final in 2017. Harmanpreet has been a part of both teams and led in the 2020 T20 World Cup.

“This is the best team we are going forward with. The players have been playing together for a long time. For us we came so close last time and lost in semis (2023).

“We have ticked all the boxes in terms of preparation compared to the small things were not there maybe in earlier editions,” said Harmanpreet at the pre-departure press conference for the T20 World Cup beginning October 3.

India have not had game time since end of July when they surprisingly finished runners-up to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup.

They had an extensive preparatory camp at the NCA where the players spent a lot of time on fitness and fielding, areas where the team has been found wanting in the past.

The conference was also attended by head coach Muzumdar and chief selector Neetu David also made a rare appearance.

“During the Asia Cup, we played good cricket, one odd day things did not go to plan,” said Harmanpreet, who has been part of all the T20 World Cup that have been staged till date.

She has played so many global events in a career spanning close to decade and half but feels that she is as excited as her maiden World championship.

“I know I have played so many World Cups but I have the same excitement as I had when I was 19,” the 35-year-old skipper said.

The main challenge will come from England and Australia, who have found a way to beat India in ICC events even from difficult situations.

“We can beat any team and Australia know that very well. They know if there is one team that can beat them it is us,” said Harmanpreet.

Focussed on enhancing athletic ability in training camp

Head coach Muzumdar shed more light on the team’s focus areas during the training camp in Bengaluru.

“We did identify a few things (after the loss to Sri Lanka) and we went about in the subsequent camp. We first had a fitness and fielding camp. Then we had a 10 day skills only camp. We brought in a sports psychologist also (Mughda Bawre). She has been fantastic with the group.

“We focused on enhancing athletic ability, all-round fielding abilities, there were yoga sessions and psychological sessions were added.” On lack of game time, he said: “We are prepared for everything. In the skills camp, we had nets and five games in 10 days time. We have ticked all the boxes as far as preparation is concerned,” said Muzumdar.

He also displayed supreme confidence in the batting department, which doesn’t have the firepower possessed by the likes of Australia and England.

“Our top six are the best. Their styles and mannerisms are different. Number three we have identified but we will reveal that when eleven is announced. In T20s, number three sets game the up, in any form actually, “As far as the conditions are concerned, it will be similar to India. Start of the season they could be extra bounce especially in Dubai but climate will be just like India.” The event was shifted to the UAE from Bangladesh due unrest in the South Asian nation.

Chief selector David added: “We have done what is the best for the team. The bench strength is also looking good. Shadow tours (India A tours) are also helping on that front,” she said.

For the record, India A women performed disastrously in Australia.

File picture of India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur
| Photo Credit: PTI

The big-hitting Harmanpreet Kaur will lead a 15-member Indian squad unveiled on Tuesday for the Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE from October 3.

Top-order batter Yastika Bhatia and spin all-rounder Shreyanka Patil were also included in the squad subject to fitness.

Star batter Smriti Mandhana has been named Harmanpreet’s deputy.

The ICC event was shifted to the UAE from Bangladesh following unrest in the South Asian nation owing to a students’ protest.

India, placed in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, will be aiming for their maiden T20 World Cup trophy.

India squad for Women’s T20 World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan.