Warm-up matches before a major tournament don’t always reveal much, but India would be worried by the form of their bowlers ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup, after a thumping defeat against England in Bengaluru’s BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 Ground on Thursday. For one, the three players who had no part to play with the bat in the match are four certain starters in India’s opening match against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday: captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice captain and world No 1 Smriti Mandhana and opener Pratika Rawal. So India being bowled out for 187 in 34 overs doesn’t have to sound any alarm bells.
But, after stand-in captain Jemimah Rodrigues opted to field, the fact that England piled on 339/9 in their 50 overs is a cause for concern, because it’s now becoming a pattern. In the recently concluded ODI series, India conceded 282/2 in 44.1 overs as Australia cantered to a win in the first ODI while chasing and in the series decider, Alyssa Healy’s side scored 412 runs in New Delhi. India’s bowling innings started well with Renuka Singh Thakur dismissing Tammy Beaumont bowled for 1. Amy Jones and returning former skipper Heather Knight had a decent partnership for the second wicket. The damage, however, was done by current captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Emma Lamb, who stitched together a 172-run stand for the fourth wicket. Sciver-Brunt retired out after making a 105-ball 122, while Lamb scored a 59-ball 81.
Injury scare
India would be encouraged by Renuka Thakur completing her 10 overs, going for less than run-a-ball. Young pacer Kranti Goud had impressive figures, having bowled five overs for 3/31. Left-arm spinner Sree Charani was expensive, going for 75/1 in her 10 overs.
One of the bigger concerns than the result itself for India is that pacer Arundhati Reddy was taken off the field in a wheelchair after suffering a blow on her leg when the ball hit her on the follow-through of a delivery in her fifth over. Heather Knight drove the ball back at Arundhati who attempted a caught & bowled was left lying face down on the pitch for a while. “Doctors raced onto the ground and attempted to help Reddy off the ground, before a wheelchair was called for the bowler,” according to a report by ICC. Should India be required to call a replacement, the standby players that were named are Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, and Sayali Satghare. Mumbai’s Satghare would be the like-for-like option. Radha Yadav too didn’t complete her 7th over.
In response, Rodrigues got some miles in her legs, batting at No 3 and scoring a 68-ball 66. But Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma missed out on opportunities to play innings of substance. Backup wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who opened with Deol, scored a 50-ball 45. In an encouraging sign for England, skipper Sciver-Brunt rolled her arm over, bowling four overs after opening the attack with Lauren Bell.
In another warm-up match, Shafali Verma – who is not in India’s main squad – struck a 49-ball 70 against New Zealand as Minnu Mani-led India ‘A’ defeated the White Ferns in a rain-hit match by 4 wickets.
Brief scores: England 339/9 (Nat Sciver-Brunt 122, Emma Lamb 81, Kranti Gaud 3/31) beat India 187 all out in 34 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 66, Uma Chetry 45, Sophie Ecclestone 2/38)
The postICC Women’s World Cup warm-up, India vs England: Bowling concerns persist as Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side beat weakened India by 152 runs | Cricket News appeared first on Indian Express
Add Cricem As your Preferred Source on Google
Follow the latest on Footem Telegram Channel