QUEENSTOWN, Feb 23: India will be desperate to gain some momentum heading into the World Cup but for that, their bowlers will have to raise their game as they seek to stop New Zealand from completing a 5-0 whitewash in the fifth women’s ODI here on Thursday.
Having lost all matches played here so far, including the lone T20I, the Mithali Raj-led side is finding it difficult to stem the rot and faces the ignominy of a one-sided series defeat days ahead of the World Cup.
The series defeat is India’s fourth in the last one year, having lost to South Africa, England and Australia earlier.
While the batters did raise their game in the second and third ODIs with a much-improved performance, the bowling unit has let the team down throughout the series, something that Mithali admitted was a concern heading into the World Cup.
The Indian team hasn’t performed as a cohesive unit.
While the bowlers failed to defend 270 plus targets in two games, the batters were unable to chase 276 and 192 in 20 overs in the fourth ODI. The fielding has also been sub-standard.
With pressure building up on Harmanpreet Kaur, who has managed just 33 runs in the three ODIs and was also expensive with the ball, the visitors left out the vice-captain from the playing XI in the fourth ODI.
Shafali Verma is also yet to fire. The youngster has only struck one fifty in the series and was out on nought in the last game.
The spin department, save Deepti Sharma, has been inconsistent while the pace attack has lacked teeth to trouble the opposition batters. Overall, the Indian bowlers have struggled to adapt to the conditions.
With the World Cup around the corner and just two warm-up matches against after the game on Thursday, India will badly need some momentum heading into the marquee event. (PTI)
Match starts 3.30 am IST.
