Navi Mumbai, Oct 22: Head coach Amol Muzumdar on Wednesday threw his weight behind under-fire Indian batters, whose patchy run has left the team struggling in its effort to reach the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup, saying a big knock from them is around the corner.
While Indian batters remain in search of a World Cup hundred in this edition, the strike-rates of opener Pratika Rawal (70.99) and Harleen Deol (75.11) also highlighted the issue of top-order acceleration.
“We are well aware that a three-figure mark hasn’t come in this World Cup,” Muzumdar replied when asked whether the team is working on the conversion rate.
“But if you look at the past year-and-a-half, the 18 months that have passed before the World Cup, we’ve definitely had a lot of hundreds that we’ve seen than ever before, I guess. Yes, the three-figure mark has not been reached,” he said on the eve of their match against New Zealand.
However, Muzumdar dismissed the notion of Indian batters being under pressure because of lack of individual big scores.
“I don’t think there is a lot of load on anyone. We’ve had honest discussions about it and the players also have been honest that instead of a fifty, we could have converted that into a hundred. They are aware of it and I’m hopeful that it will come in the next couple of games,” he said.
Muzumdar did not read much into the sub-80 strike rates of Rawal and Harleen in the competition, who only have one fifty between them to show in combined 10 innings.
“If you look at Pratika Rawal’s progression from last December when she made her debut in international cricket she averages around 50 (47.04) and her strike rate is around 82-83 (81.92),” he said.
“I think that is fantastic and we would like her to continue the way she bats. The entire team is behind her and Harleen as well. I don’t think any discussion has happened on that particular subject.
“I don’t know why this is coming up but she’s been fantastic with the group. You know, she’s taken to international cricket as fish to water. We back her wholeheartedly,” he added.
Despite the team’s travails, Muzumdar said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has been handling the situation well.
“She’s (Harmanpreet) been leading fantastically. If you can see the record that she’s had in the bilateral before this World Cup has been fantastic in the last two years or so,” Muzumdar said.
The Mumbai stalwart hoped for Harmanpreet to come up with a hefty knock sooner than later.
Muzumdar said it was a tough call to drop Jemimah Rodrigues in the last match against England.
“Jemi has been a very important player, an integral part of this side, what we’ve built and sometimes you just have to take those tough calls,” he said.
India are favourites but we will look to control what we can: Sophie Devine
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine on Wednesday said her side is under no illusions that India are favourites despite the unimaginable pressure on them for their virtual quarterfinal of the Women’s World Cup here, adding that they will look to control what they can.
“In all honesty, I can’t begin to imagine the type of pressure that the Indian team is under. I know when we played at a home World Cup, the pressure that we felt to perform in front of our home crowd, in front of our own country, was at times overwhelming,” Devine told the media on the eve of the game.
“I can’t imagine what that’s like with a billion people tuned into the TV screens and the expectation and the weight that’s on their shoulders. I’ve got real empathy for them having to try and deal with that while also go out and perform.”
“We’re obviously under no illusions that India are still the favourites, without a doubt, and we’ll wear that underdog badge with pride, as Kiwis often do,” she added.
The venerable Devine said New Zealand would look to cut out the noise and distraction, including prediction of rain, in order to challenge India. (PTI)
