India’s comeback to international women’s cricket, after an absence of almost 2.5 months, concluded with a comprehensive 38-run loss to England at the Wankhede Stadium. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized the need for new bowlers to quickly grasp vital lessons in preparation for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India had an encouraging start, reducing England to 2/2 in the opening over, courtesy of returning fast-bowler Renuka Singh Thakur. However, subsequent bowlers, including debutants Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil, struggled to maintain pressure. England posted 197/6, subsequently restricting India to 159/6.
“We didn’t stick to our plans. New bowlers need to adapt fast for the T20 World Cup. I understand it’s a challenging game. They are seasoned batters with years of experience. We had some changes in the bowling department, and we’ll come back stronger,” remarked Harmanpreet post-match.
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In India’s chase, aside from Shafali Verma’s impressive 52, other batters faltered in the pursuit of 198. The fielding performance added to India’s challenges, with Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver-Brunt benefiting from reprieves in the same over.
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“I expected better fielding, but the pressure of returning to international games can affect you. We needed to back ourselves, especially after a couple of wickets. We had control, but the last ten overs didn’t go according to plan,” Harmanpreet added.
England’s captain, Heather Knight, expressed satisfaction with their winning start to the India tour. She highlighted the need for improved bowling discipline and fewer extras as they prepare for back-to-back T20Is over the weekend.
“Really good game. We continued to attack, chose the right areas, and built a good partnership. This is our approach to the game—putting pressure back on the opposition. We conceded quite a few extras that we can work on and improve,” commented Knight.
-IANS
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