CHENNAI: With the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh less than a year away, every move made by the Indian team management will come under the lens. Especially as the new coach Amol Muzumdar takes charge, India can test their options with a fresh approach and pick the best possible squad for the marquee event. There are more learnings from the first series of the Mazumdar-Harmanpreet Kaur era, even as England bagged the three-match T20I series in Mumbai.
Playing their first bilateral T20I series since the tour of Bangladesh in July this year, India were repeating similar mistakes from a year ago when they faced World Cup champions Australia for five T20Is. After making a great start with the ball, in the middle overs, they let go of all the pressure built in the powerplay. It has always been the case with the team and that could be one of the earliest tasks for Muzumdar. Renuka Singh Thakur coming back from a long injury break has done her job early on with seven wickets but she has not been that effective otherwise. With the series against Australia and the eventual WC coming up, the management needs to look at Thakur as a reliable option in the death overs.
Staying true to his word about giving opportunities to players, the coach did give opportunities to Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil. The two spinners who came through the ranks of the Women’s Premier League have certainly made an impact with five wickets each. In what was Titas Sadhu’s first big assignment as a bowler, she has learned a few valuable lessons that will come in handy going forward. While the experienced duo of Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar could not impress, they are vital for India.
India’s batting in this series has proven again that at least one of the top four batters needs to stay longer for them to have any chance of putting in a strong total or chasing one. With Shafali Verma taking her time and running out of partners in the first T20I, India fell well short of the target, even when the opener made her first half-century against the full-member nation since December 2022. Taking a leaf out of opposition captain Heather Knight’s book, Mandhana stayed rooted at the crease till the 17th over in the final T20I and India chased down the small total in the second innings.
The known weakness in the side has historically put pressure on the top four. There is enough caliber available for India in the middle overs with the likes of Richa Ghosh, Amanjot Kaur, and Vastrakar. Which makes one question the use of depth if players in the top order feel the constant need to stay at the crease till the end.
For the next few weeks, the attention will be on the red-ball fixtures against England and Australia. After that, India has the opportunity to put what they learned from this series to use against the side that has been a thorn in the flesh for the longest time. A series loss against a team like England on home soil might hurt less if that helps this Indian unit learn the lessons and be ready for the next challenges.
Brief scores: England 126 all out in 20 ovs (Heather 52; Shreyanka 3/19, Saika 3/22) lost to India 130/5 in 19 ovs (Smriti 48, Jemimah 29, Amanjot Kaur 13 n.o).