Indian players stand for their national anthem ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP/PTI)
A day after a hugely damaging defeat against New Zealand in their T20 World Cup opener, India’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi – in a five-minute press conference – repeated the words ‘process’, ‘plans’ and ‘believe’ a few different times. It’s never easy to dissect that kind of defeat in front of the media, so it was perhaps understandable that he stuck to the phrases that we have come to hear often in such interactions. India just had a really bad day all around, so it was best to move on quickly without dwelling too much.
A few hours earlier, however, the tone of Jemimah Rodrigues’ press conference was a better reflection of where the team finds itself in this tournament. Speaking shortly after the 58-run defeat against Sophie Devine’s side, the usually energetic and cheerful Indian batter barely smiled over a six-minute-long interaction. The only time she did smile, was a wry one, while discussing the bizarre non-run out of Amelia Kerr.
“Not many positives in this game but still, going forward, I think we need to have the right approach because this tournament’s not over,” she said. “This would be the game we would like to forget. This is a World Cup. We need to keep moving on and keep picking ourselves up. We can’t stay stuck at this game. We need to pick ourselves up, and I think that will show the character of this team.”
A buoyant Pakistan awaits them on Sunday in an afternoon clash. The heat, in more ways than one, will be on the Indian team.
Not much went right for India against New Zealand, who put Harmanpreet’s side under pressure from the word go. Though Rodrigues denied being taken by surprise after the White Ferns’ early intent with the bat, conceding 160 on a pitch where there was enough help for the slow bowlers didn’t reflect well on India’s preparations. The lack of competitive matches leading up to the World Cup meant India started the night somewhat cold and by the time they responded, it was too late.
Bowling coach Salvi actually praised India’s speed and energy on the field, and felt that the mistakes were fewer than what we have seen in the past from India. While the fielding lapses didn’t cost directly, it didn’t set a good early precedent.
The India-Pakistan rivalry in the women’s game is not a storied one, it’s mostly been in India’s favour over the years. India have won 12 out of the 15 matches between the two in this format but two of their last three meetings have been tight games. At the last World Cup, India needed a Rodrigues special in the run-chase to cross the line.
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur bats during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP/PTI)
Pakistan, however, come into the match on the back of a splendid win against Asian champions Sri Lanka. Led well by rising superstar Fatima Sana, they put in a fine bowling display to begin their campaign. Batting has traditionally been an area of concern for Pakistan, but Fatima brimmed with confidence about her side’s recent improvement.
“If you look at the last series against South Africa, a lot of our girls have improved in power hitting,” the 22-year-old who was only recently elevated to captaincy, said on Saturday. “In that series, our team hit sixes frequently. It’s a good thing that all the girls are confident in this. Personally, I didn’t know if I could hit long sixes or not. but I have that belief now.”
If Pakistan’s batting clicks, their bowling unit is certainly capable of troubling India, who looked short of confidence and rhythm against New Zealand. How quickly Harmanpreet and Co put that defeat behind them will be key to their result against the neighbours. Another stumble, and their semifinal hopes will be all but over.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assistant Editor and is based in New Delhi. … Read More
First uploaded on: 05-10-2024 at 23:18 IST
