An inconsistent India will have no room for errors when they take on a spirited Bangladesh in their must-win ICC Women’s World Cup league match here on Tuesday.
India have won two games and lost three, including back-to-back defeats against England and Australia. The fluctuations in batting was already a concern and the ease with which Australia chased down a record 278 in the previous game show the Indian bowlers need to step up.
The move to drop an extra bowling option in Deepti Sharma and bring back Shafali Verma also did not work.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who roared back to form with the bat, is yet to be used as an off-spinner in the competition. It remains to be seen if Shafali will be persisted with for the crucial contest and Yastika Bhatia returns at the top to open alongside Smriti Mandhana. One positive from the Australia game was captain Mithali Raj getting back among runs. After a couple of quiet games, Mandhana will also be expected to score big on Tuesday.
Bangladesh have run most of their opponents close in the four games they have played so far. Their captain Nigar Sultana said the more they play at this level, the better they will become. “We want to show we are comfortable and we are capable at this level,” she said.
- Match starts: 6.30am IST. Live on Star Sports Network.
