Ahead of T20 swing, India to embrace ODI series

Bengaluru, June 15

The Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the three-match ODI series against South Africa, beginning here from tomorrow, will give her side a chance to assess strategies and conditions ahead of the all-important T20Is.

India will fully embrace the shortest format from July with a series against the Proteas, and are looking to gain momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup to be hosted by Bangladesh in October.

“We take (ODIs) as an opportunity to go to T20Is, because we are playing more T20 games and ODI is something where as a player you have more time to assess yourself and the conditions,” Harmanpreet said on the eve of the first ODI against South Africa.

Coming into the series, India had fitness concerns over top-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues and medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar.

However, Harmanpreet allayed the worries. “They are absolutely fine, and they are right now even having a hit at nets. They are fit for the game,” she said.

Rodrigues was recuperating after a back injury that forced her to sit out of the T20I series against Bangladesh, while Vastrakar was recovering from an unspecified injury.

The return of Rodrigues, Harmanpreet said, will fortify India’s batting.

“Jemi is fit and fine. She is back and she is someone who is very experienced and she is doing very well for so many years. Now, I think it’s a quite balanced batting side and whatever we are expecting as a team, we will go and do well,” she noted.

Attack is the best defence

Skipper Laura Wolvaardt said South Africa will have to play “positive and aggressive” cricket to overcome a formidable opponent like India in their own backyard.

“India is quite a daunting place to come. I’m just sort of trying to prepare the group mentally for what to expect. But we are confident and our batters are licking their lips to get into that surface tomorrow. Playing a brave, aggressive brand of cricket is what we need

to do,” she said.