New Delhi: Not all started well for the Indian women’s cricket team following a crushing 58-run defeat in its opener of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday. Sloppy fielding, under fire batting, lack of gameplan, soft dismissals, and lacklustre approach in the moderate 161-run chase defined India’s deflating start in the showpiece event.
A team, whose batting depth was talked with the presence of Shreyanka Patil and Pooja Vastrakar, resigned before a sheepish New Zealand who lost 10 T20I matches in a row in the build up to their T20 World Cup preparations. The Indian top-order failed, tamely, to set the tone for the chase with Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana and newly promoted No.3 batter Harmanpreet Kaur adding 29 runs before returning to the dressing room in the powerplay.
It was far contrasting from what New Zealand top order displayed. Veteran Suzie Bates (27 runs off 24 balls) and youngster Georgia Plimmer (34 runs off 23 balls) powered the White Ferns with 55 runs in the powerplay. The intent was clear strike heavily as you can and don’t care about the reputation of a bowler be it Renuka’s fiery moment of Deepti Sharma’s wily turn. Take the attack to the opposition.
Was India submissive with the bat?
For India, lack of partnership was an alarming bell that the batting depth without flair leaves the campaign sinister at the moment. The 17-run stand between Harmanpreet and Smriti was the best among the worst batting show. Harmanpreet (15) was the top-scorer only rubs salt on the wounds.
The onus to carry the chase was on Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma after the departure of the top order, but senior New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu mastered her varying lengths for the Indian middle order to chip and provide some catching practice for the fielders inside the circle. It was an appalling fightback from the Women in Blue as they were bowled out for 102 in 19 overs.
The Indian fielders didn’t do the ordinary things in the first innings. It was supposed to keep things tight and avoid leaking extra runs, but that didn’t happen. Richa Ghosh dropping Bates at the end of the powerplay of Arundhati Reddy’s bowling didn’t add any damage as the New Zealand opener was dismissed in the following over, but it did help to sum up India’s timid approach in the field.
The Devine touch
It was New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine’s scintillating unbeaten 57 off 36 balls that stood as a massive difference between the two sides. The 35-year-old smashed seven boundaries in a composed knock. Devine’s footwork was showered with praise and so was Bates’. It seemed the New Zealand players used their experience to expose India’s lack of game time blatantly.
India’s lack of preparations
In a major tournament like T20 World Cup, the Indian team was out of action for two months. Barring some of the top players’ participation in overseas league such as Women’s Hundred and Women’s Caribbean Premier League, India played nothing after the heartbreaking loss in the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka on July 28.
This isn’t a good precedent for any major team who hopes to end the title drought in the ICC events. The tournament opener humbling has made India’s semifinal hopes arduous given the last group game is against six-time champions Australia on October 13 in Sharjah. In the meantime, India need to regroup and bounce back against Pakistan and Sri Lanka to keep their chances alive in the tournament.
India started their T20 World Cup campaign on a deflating note. New Zealand outsmarted the Asian side to end their 10-match losing streak in T20Is. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
