CHENNAI: Twenty four unbeaten ODIs. The Australian women’s cricket team, it’s fair to say, is one of sport’s uncompromising juggernauts, a battering ram of a side. They turn up, they win, they go home, no fuss. During this run, the margin of their three wins against India, against whom they began the undefeated run, is an indication of how just powerful they are. An eight-wicket win with 107 balls to spare, a 60-run win and a 97-run win.
On Tuesday, when the hosts take the field against the visiting Indian outfit in the first of three ODIs, it’s fair to say that the former will begin favourites. That’s even before you legislate for the fact that Harmanpreet Singh will be missing the match due to an injury. That was the big news from the pre-match press conference. However, India’s planning and focus will probably go beyond what happens in Mackay this week. With a 50-over World Cup coming up in six months, this series is a glorious chance to lock down a few combinations and look at a few other options.
One of the larger goals that coach Ramesh Powar alluded to is for the team to touch the 250 mark, easier said than done as the Indians have crossed that mark only once while batting first since the beginning of 2019. “We have set targets,” Powar said. “Batting unit scoring 250...” To achieve this on a consistent basis, the make-up of the middle order, including adding hitters, is key. “Whether I bat No 3 or 4 depends on the middle order,” skipper Mithali Raj said. “With Harmanpreet out, it will depend on that probably.”
Where the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, who impressed in The Hundred after disappointing against England, fit in is another puzzle that the coming week may reveal. “Jemimah is part of our thought process,” Powar said. “It’s about combination... she may or may not play.”
In the one and only tour match on Saturday, she sat out as Powar & Co. went with a middle-order of Yastika Bhatia (No 4), Richa Ghosh (No 5), Pooja Vastrakar (No 6) and Deepti Sharma (No 7). Three of those four got stuck in but allowed pressure to build with too many dot balls. In the end, that pressure told and the visitors fell short by 36 runs.
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