GUWAHATI: A nets session of India women’s team gives a clear picture of their mindset. A stark contrast can be found between the way Smriti Mandhana trains and the rest of the players. The skipper was the only one trying hit the ball hard during the open nets sessions on Tuesday, after the first T20I against England.
Fast forward two days, India suffered a defeat in the second T20I, losing the three-match series 0-2. A second successive series loss in the format-- primarily due to batting disorder -- suggests that the problem is deep-rooted. In the shortest format, India have been dependent on individual brilliance when it comes to willow-wielding abilities. In the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, and Mandhana being off-colour in the two games -- she has scores of 2 and 12 -- cracks have opened up in the homes series. Against New Zealand, despite Mandhana’s contributions, India lost the series 0-3.
India once again posted a below-par total of 111/8 in the series in the must-win game against England on Thursday. Even though the spinners took the game to the last over at Barsapara Stadium, the damage was already done.
This recurring theme of the inability of the batting line-up to meet the demands of the fast-paced game could hurt India more. Only Mandhana, Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy have been exposed to Big Bash League or Kia Super League (KSL) -- the two most competitive T20 leagues in women’s cricket. Unlike men’s cricket, there is no Indian Premier League for women, which raises the question of how competitive Indian domestic cricket is, and how ready are the new set of players when they are handed an international cap.
Having played alongside and against England’s domestic players in KSL last year, Mandhana feels there is a big gap between domestic and international levels. Hence, the batting is not up to the standards. “If you look at it, the batters we get at domestic level are different compared to international cricket. There is a huge gap, and it needs to be lessened,” the 22-year-old said after the loss.
“Our domestic circuit needs to step up. There should be a bit of fearlessness because only when you start playing fearless cricket at domestic level, you are going to play the same way at the international level. If you look at our domestic scores in T20s, it is generally around 110-120. We all need to go back, step up (strengthen) our domestic circuit, take those scores to 140-150. If that happens then all the batters will come with the same mindset of playing a fearless brand of cricket. Fearless doesn’t mean careless. There is a thin line between (being) fearless and careless. We need to play fearlessly,” she added.
On the other hand, England have proved how a proper domestic structure can do wonders for national side. The KSL is considered to be the breeding ground for youngsters. Players like Sophia Dunkley, Linsey Smith, Freya Davies, who were not in the mix until 12 months ago, have been drafted in because of their performances in KSL.
Elaborating the domestic set-up in England, batter Laura Winfield said: “Most men’s counties also have a women’s team. So there are lots of counties and divisions in there, but it’s a very amateur programme; there’s no money involved. You have the winter programme, but the opportunities to train are very few and far between. That’s where the KSL is hugely important as it fills the gap between county and international cricket. Players get to rub shoulders with international stars. You ideally want 20-25 players to pick from, where every single one is ready to rock on the stage of international cricket.”
Brief scores: India 111/8 in 20 ovs (Brunt 3/17) lost to England 114/5 in 19.1 ovs (Wyatt 64 n.o).