Tough questions loom for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team as Australia clean swept over India in their home ODI series. India are yet to win a bilateral ODI series in Australia, an attempt made all the more challenging by their dominance at home.
India’s last tour of Australia was in September 2021, featuring three ODIs, a day-night Test and three T20Is. Back then, India delivered a more competitive display, narrowly losing the first two ODIs after thrilling finishes before winning the third.
However, this time around, India were outplayed thoroughly, losing the first ODI by 5 wickets, the second by 122 runs and the third by 83 runs. The squad saw changes partly due to form and injuries, but the series has underlined flaws that are too stark.
The batting line-up contains at least four players that are familiar with the conditions due to their international experience and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) appearances. More was expected specifically from Smriti Mandhana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma, said former India skipper and commentator Anjum Chopra.
“I was not too impressed. Some of them have been to Australia for WBBL in the past month. Yet, they are falling in the 20s, 30s or 40s. Their individual targets seem to be very short,” she said.
Although there was a marked improvement from the first ODI where India were routed by five wickets, the enterprise needed from the visitors in the second ODI whilst chasing 371 – their highest target in ODI history – was missing. In the third ODI, Mandhana’s century put India on track before a mighty collapse that saw them lose 7 wickets for 26 runs.
In the last two ODIs, India tried something different by opting to open with Richa Ghosh after Priya Punia had looked uncomfortable and struggled to rotate the strike in the first match.
Ghosh returned with 54 in the first ODI but the batting unit lacked the overall urgency needed in the mammoth chase. Regular wickets disrupted the momentum and India were bowled out for 249 in 44.5 overs. In the chase in the third ODI, a similar pattern followed when Mandhana received little support from other batters.
“This line-up needs more all-rounders. The top five don’t bowl and your bottom five don’t bat, other than Deepti. It’s unfair in today’s time to have a squad like that.”
Other than the injured Pooja Vastrakar, Chopra reckons seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur has the skillset, but her finding a spot in the eleven hinges on her fitness.
“We had to play a Minnu Mani in place of a Titas Sadhu because Minnu can bat and also bowl her quota of 10 overs,” she said.
While batting appears a weak link for India, the pace-bowling and fielding has been erratic too. In comparison, Australia pacers Meghan Schutt and Annabel Sutherland stood out. India’s pacers were lacklustre as a unit, although Renuka Thakur took 3/45 in the first ODI, Saima Thakor impressed with 3/62 in the second ODI and Arundhati Reddy picked up a superb 4/26 in the third ODI.
“For the last 35 years, I’m hearing we are improving in fitness and fielding standards, but it is still not good enough. Moreover, we don’t have out and out fast bowlers. Thakur’s pace has dropped considerably from when she started. Titas Sadhu (0/27 in the 1st ODI, 0/65 in the 3rd ODI) is much quicker and that’s why she was given an opportunity, but she didn’t grab that chance.”
In a well-oiled cricket set-up, players are given a long rope to prove their mettle, but with limited international game time and competition at the domestic level, an opportunity, if given, is expected to be snatched with both hands by the management.
Chopra believes wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry is the kind of player who can make the most of it. The Assam batter was the second-highest scorer in the domestic Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy where she amassed 231 runs at a strike rate of 154, scoring the tournament’s only century – 122 off 71 balls.
Chetry also brings some familiarity of the conditions, from the India A tour of Australia in August, though her performances were modest.
“Chetry should have been in the XI. She is an excellent wicket-keeper, we saw that briefly against South Africa, and she can also bat at the top,” said Chopra.
The group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup has already raised eyebrows about the squad. With opener Shafali Verma dropped from the ODIs, senior players struggling to go beyond modest returns, missing all-rounders and pacers lacking consistency, the Amol Muzumdar-coached side will have plenty to address before next year’s ODI World Cup at home.
Upon their return, India face West Indies at home for three T20Is followed by as many ODIs.
