T20 mode on as India face Australia

PTI

Navi Mumbai, January 4

With an eye on the T20 World Cup later this year, the Indian women’s cricket team will be vying for all-round improvement against six-time world champions Australia when the two sides clash in a three-match series starting here tomorrow.

For the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, plenty will be at stake after a 0-3 hammering against Australia in the recently-concluded ODI series, having earlier lost a three-match T20I series to England.

The historic wins in the one-off Tests against England and Australia notwithstanding, Harmanpreet’s side has a lot of ground to cover in white-ball cricket to improve their dismal record against Australia.

If their horrendous fielding in the second ODI cost India the game by a mere three runs, the batters cut a sorry figure on a perfect deck to be bowled out for 148 after Australia piled up a record 338/8 in the third ODI.

India lost the opening ODI by six wickets since none of the bowlers could impose themselves. The hosts also dropped a total of eight catches in the last two matches and erred quite a bit in their DRS calling too.

India’s batting also did not inspire much confidence even though they were playing in their own backyard.

The batters lacked the initiative to attack and a collective plan was never seen when it came to countering the opposition’s bowling.

Harmanpreet’s form continues to be a concern with India skipper enduring a forgettable run — she could only manage 17 runs in three ODIs against Australia.

Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh were India’s stars in the ODIs but there has been a lack of big scores from the top half of the batting order.

In complete contrast, two of Australia’s batters — Phoebe Litchfield and Tahlia McGrath — have struck three consecutive fifties each across two formats. This tour has witnessed the ascension of the young Litchfield, who flayed India with the bat in the ODIs, striking two fifties and a ton to establish herself as one to watch out for.

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