The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with four of the five teams on two points apiece. India slumped to a big loss to the White Ferns in their first game of the tournament. They got onto the points table with a win over Pakistan in the previous game. But the team took 18.5 overs to chase down 106. Thus not significantly reducing the deficit in the net run rate they copped after the first game.
But the team took 18.5 overs to chase down 106, thus not significantly reducing the deficit in the net run rate they copped after the first game. As they prepared for a clash against Sri Lanka and then Australia. Senior batter Smriti Mandhana brushed aside concerns around the net run rate scenario that could crop up in this Group of Death.
Smriti Mandhana said ahead of the clash against Sri Lanka in a press conference, “It [NRR] was playing in our minds last match against Pakistan. But the conditions are very different here in UAE and scoring quickly isn’t quite easy. The priority is to win the match and it’s a balance between what is best for the team and what we can do in terms of NRR. I started fine last game but I consumed dot balls later on, which was irritating for me.”
Harmanpreet Kaur doubtful against Sri Lanka
India suffered a major blow last game. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur injured her neck towards the final stages of the run-chase. But Mandhana said that the captain is fit to play on Wednesday. There are other injury concerns, though, with Pooja Vastrakar, who missed the match against Pakistan. She is still under the supervision of the medical team.
A call on Vastrakar will be taken on the morning of the Sri Lanka match according to Mandhana. India’s shaky start to the tournament was also reflected in them swiftly swapping the key No.3 role in the batting line-up in the two games. Kaur batted at No.3 in the opening game against New Zealand. But it was Jemimah Rodrigues stepping in at the fall of the wicket in the previous match.
Mandhana insisted that the change was owing to the difference in conditions. She said, “The wicket conditions and ground conditions changed from what we expected. It [No.3 role] depends on the match situation, who we are playing, where we are playing. I wouldn’t say it was all planned. It would depend on what we are chasing also, we will keep that in consideration to decide on the batting order.”
