It's now or never for India

Indian women’s team coach Amol Muzumdar came out to the pre-match presser with a smile, which hid his real emotions on the eve of the host team’s ‘do-or-die’ match against New Zealand in the Women’s World Cup.

“This ground holds a special place for the entire team. We’ve had a few camps here, and it gives a good vibe. Hopefully, it will bring the desired results,” said Muzumdar.

The Indian team comes into this match after three consecutive losses against South Africa, Australia and England — all of whom have already qualified for the semifinals.

India are desperate for a win in order to cement their fourth position on the points table. Currently, they have two other contenders — New Zealand and Sri Lanka. A win will push India towards the semis but a loss will put their campaign in jeopardy with one last league match left against Bangladesh at the same venue. If India lose on Thursday, they will be hoping for England to beat the Kiwis.

Against New Zealand, India cannot afford even a single mistake, as they committed at many stages during the last three games.

“In the last three games, to be very honest, we were not able to finish things off. We’ve discussed this in detail with the team. It’s important to start well, but even more important to finish better,” said the coach.

India’s problems go beyond the team combination, with their five-bowler line-up coming under fire, as the squad grapples to handle the pressure of a home World Cup.

In the last match, even the decision to include a sixth bowler at the cost of batter Jemimah Rodrigues could not get India a win. “It was one of the toughest decisions we had to make. Given the conditions and the ground size in Indore, we felt six bowling options would be a better call for that particular match. Jemimah is an integral part of the team, and she handled it very professionally,” said Muzumdar.

Muzumdar acknowledged that the batters have failed to convert promising starts into big scores, with no Indian reaching the century mark in this World Cup. “We’re aware that the three-figure mark hasn’t come so far. The players themselves have been honest about it. I’m hopeful that it will come in the next couple of games,” he said.

As the team enters the ‘now-or-never’ zone, the duo of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and in-form vice-captain Smriti Mandhana will need to take the responsibility. “Of course, a home World Cup brings expectations, but this side has the balance of experienced players and youngsters who know how to cope with pressure. We take it match by match. Hopefully, the next few games go our way,” he said.

New Zealand, on the other hand, will be keeping their fingers crossed after their last two matches were washed out. The team has to win both its remaining games, against India and England. “We’ve been waiting to play. We can’t control the weather. What we can control is our mindset and preparation. Whenever we get a chance to play, we’ll be ready. Now it’s time to show what we’re made of,” said skipper Sophie Devine.

“The past week has been testing. Persistent rain affected the team’s match rhythm and practice schedules. We just want to be playing games of cricket. It’s been tough, but we can only control how we respond. Our focus is on staying ready for the next opportunity,” she added.

The skipper also termed the game against India as nothing less than a final. “I can’t imagine the pressure that the Indian team is under. It’s a big challenge for us as well, and that’s what we play for. The strength of this group lies in how we support one another, especially when conditions get tough,” she said.