Jhulan Goswami said the Indian women’s cricket team would be trying out various options during the upcoming England series and beyond to check out what is the best possible combination that can be fielded going into next year’s WODI World Cup in New Zealand.
India’s senior middle-order batters like skipper Mithali Raj, Punam Raut, and Deepti Sharma were all guilty of wasting as many as 180 odd deliveries in the first ODI which England won by eight wickets chasing a modest target of 202. Mithali Raj top-scored with a 108-ball 72 but aside from Shafali Verma, who made a 14-ball 15, no India batter could score at a 90-plus strike rate.
Jhulan Goswami: India Women Players Are Trying To Settle Combination And Create Options With An Eye To Upcoming WODI World Cup
Jhulan Goswami didn’t give a definitive answer on vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting position but indicated that a lot of options will be tried out before the World Cup in New Zealand next year.
“Well, we are trying to settle our combination. We are trying to create a few options. Now which options will click for us, we are (still) searching for that. Whatever things will happen (options we finalise), the management will take a call before the World Cup,” Goswami said on the eve of the second WODI against England.
“Before the World Cup, we are trying to settle down a few things. Hopefully, in the coming matches, the coming series, we will sort out all those things.”
According to Jhulan Goswami, young Shafali Verma shouldn’t be put under the immense pressure of expectation and the veteran pacer is confident that it’s just a matter of time before the middle-order batsmen will produce impact performances expected of them in the ongoing series against England.
“Well…It is just the first match for Shafali. Day before yesterday, she made her debut in ODI cricket. We are expecting so much from her because that is the impact she has had,” Goswami, world’s highest wicket-taker in women’s ODIs, wants everyone to cut some slack when it comes to analysing the performance of a teenager.
” We just need one good knock from one among the top 3. They will definitely score runs. Just these things happen in cricket,” Goswami said about the consumption of 180 dot balls.
“Every day is a new day, every day is a new learning experience. One good innings from the three. Harman(Kaur) needs one good knock, we know Harman can do it. One good knock is required from our middle-order,” the 38-year-old seamer said.
Harmanpreet Kaur managed only 1 off 7 deliveries. She failed in the preceding Test as well scoring 4 and 8.
Jhulan Goswami: Bowlers Need To Believe In Their Abilities And Comeback Strongly In Next Games
Jhulan Goswami also believes that as a bowling group, they need to believe in their abilities and come back strongly after England batswomen Tammy Beaumont and Natalie Sciver gave them a real pasting in the opening ODI with both batsmen scoring at a strike rate of 100. Jhulan Goswami and Ekta Bisht took a wicket apiece but the target wasn’t a substantial total that can be defended easily.
“Honestly speaking, we need to come back as a bowling group strongly. We have discussed a lot of things, hopefully we can sort it out and come back strongly. You have to believe in these bowlers, they are your best bowlers, they have the ability.”
“Both of our medium-pacers Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, and we have another two pacers in the side, all are very good cricketers. Shikha is coming back from a break. Puja is playing after a long time. They are quality bowlers. They need a little bit of time, they will do well. They have won matches single-handedly for India. We just need to give them some time, they will come back strongly. I have a lot of confidence in them,” Jhulan signed off.
While Tammy Beaumont smashed 87 runs in 87 balls, Natalie Sciver hammered 74 runs in 74 runs as England women won the match in 34.5 overs. With the win, England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The 2nd match of the series will be played on Wednesday.
England 202 for 2 (Beamont 87*, Sciver 74*) beat India 201 for 8 (Raj 72, Raut 32, Ecclestone 3-40, Shrubsole 2-33, Brunt 2-35) by eight wickets