Dubai, Oct 5: India will have to regroup quickly and iron out the imbalances in team combination when they face arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial second group A match of the Women’s T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
An early 58-run defeat to New Zealand on Friday has not just dented India’s chances of entering the semifinals of the ICC showpiece, but it certainly has pushed them to a tight corner.
India’s run-rate currently stands at a poor -2.99 and it makes big victories mandatory for them in the remaining three matches against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia.The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was wretched in all three departments of the game against the Kiwis in its World Cup opener, and India now need a reversal within 24 hours.It’s tough but that is the path they have to tread against Pakistan, high on confidence after beating a strong Sri Lanka in the first match on Thursday.
As a first step, India will have to sort out their combinations ahead of the Pakistan game.They went a batter light against New Zealand to accommodate an extra pacer in Arundhati Reddy and it meant a wholescale rejigging of the line-up.It forced the promotion of Harmanpreet to No. 3, Jemimah Rodrigues to No, 4 and Richa Ghosh to No.5, not the usual slots for these batters.For instance, Harmanpreet, who is a solid presence at No. 4, has never made a fifty in her previous 19 gigs at No.3 and to make her play precisely at that position in a World Cup was quixotic.
The inclusion of three pacers was not wrong move on the hindsight as there was no dew and the Kiwis pacers made full use of a hard deck. (PTI)
