CHENNAI: Almost a month ago, when India skipper Mithali Raj was asked about the inexperienced pace attack in the pre-departure press conference, she said that along with the veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami they would come good in the New Zealand series and the ODI World Cup.
“Sometimes it is also important to give players an opportunity when they are in rhythm and performing,” Raj had said.
Cut to Tuesday, after their fifth consecutive defeat on the tour, having lost both the lone T20I and the ODI series, Mithali acknowledged that the bowling attack is a concern going into the World Cup. “We have not been very consistent in our bowling spells,” she said after losing the fourth ODI, which was a truncated 20-over affair due to rain.
Over the four ODIs, India have conceded above 270 thrice — twice while defending — and gave over nine runs per over in the 20-over encounter on Tuesday. While the spinners — Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad — have done well, taking 12 wickets between them, it is the pacers who have struggled to make inroads both with the new ball and in the middle overs.
Goswami took five wickets in two matches, but the rest of the pace attack was able to do very little so far. That Mithali did not have the services of Renuka Singh Thakur and Meghna Singh for the better part of the series, as they were in MIQ, didn’t help their cause.
Even when they did get early breakthroughs in power play, the seamers weren’t able to break partnerships in the middle-overs. Playing just two pacers, Mithali had to turn to Goswami almost every time when they needed wickets between overs 10 to 40. During that period, Vastrakar has bowled six overs for 37 runs and no wickets in the series so far. Renuka bowled 4 overs for 24 runs and took a wicket during middle-overs in the third ODI, while Simran, who’s the lone backup pacer in the reserves, bowled just three overs on her ODI debut.
Meghna Singh, the preferred new-ball partner of Goswami in the Australia tour, played in the fourth match, but had to walk off the field after injuring her ankle. Although the extent of the injury is unknown, if any of the pacers go down due to injury, India will not be able to replace them with someone who is experienced.
While putting totals over 250 was a concern going into the series, it seems like the batting is coming together, albeit not perfectly all at once, one piece at a time so far. With Sabbhineni Meghana, who’s in the reserves, doing well, and Richa Ghosh smashing the fastest ODI fifty by an Indian, the team management could shuffle between the reserves and the full squad till February 25.
India has less than a fortnight to go for their first World Cup match, and as Mithali acknowledged it is indeed the bowling that is a concern head coach Ramesh Powar and the captain would want to address sooner than later.
Brief scores: New Zealand 191/5 in 20 overs (Amelia 68 n.o; Renuka 2/33) beat India 128 all out in 17.5 overs (Richa 52; Amelia 3/30).