New Delhi: The Indian women’s cricket team suffered a shocking defeat in the tournament opener of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Friday. New Zealand outplayed the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side by 58 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, leaving the Asian team under tremendous pressure to qualify for the knockout stage.
New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine (57*) led from the front with a late onslaught to push the side for a commendable score of 160. It proved a match-winning total as New Zealand pacers Rosemary Mair (4 for 19) and Lea Tahuhu (3 for 15) bundled up India for 102 in 19 overs.
Only five batters could score a double-digit score with Indian skipper Harmanpreet’s 15-run was the best effort amid a dismal batting show. The sloppy fielding and directionless bowling only added to the worries. But as it is ‘said better late than never.’ Here is the right opportunity for the Indian team to regroup and focus on the areas where improvements can be made.
India has three more matches left in Group A and comprehensive wins in each match will only bolster the position on the points table. In realistic sense, India must win all three matches to finish in the top two spots on the points table as two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
The matches against Pakistan (October 6 in Dubai), Sri Lanka (October 9 in Dubai), and Australia (October 13 in Sharjah) will test the real character of the Indian women’s team.
In case India happens to lose one of this fixture then they will have to be in a position where their net-run-rate (NRR) puts them in a spot to qualify. This means India will have to depend on the other results of Group A, which is to early to discuss even for the sake of permutations. The ultimate test for India will be against rivals Australia next week. India’s current NRR of -2.900 won’t be helpful in case of two teams finish with the same points at the end of the group stage. The Women in Blue must ensure two win by heavy margins in order to boost the NRR.
The 58-run defeat to New Zealand in the first match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dubai has dented India’s chances for the semifinal stage qualification. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
