It’s a do-or-die clash, a virtual quarterfinal as India take on New Zealand in their last league game of the Women’s World Cup at the County Ground in Derby on Saturday.
With only one semifinal spot left, Mithali Raj and Co will have to overcome the higher-ranked Kiwis to make it to the last four – not an easy feat even if the momentum was with India. But the team is coming off consecutive and comprehensive losses, to South Africa and Australia.
The Proteas ran through their batting line-up to notch up a 115-run win while defending champions Australia outplayed them in batting, bowling and fielding to claim an eight-wicket win. To turn the tide, India will have shrug off the defeats and approach the match with a clear head and an even clearer gameplan against the strong White Ferns.
Captain Raj believes that for India to aspire to be champions, they will need to play with the resilience of one, not giving up in crunch situations as they have often in the past.
“You can’t just give up because you lose one game,” said Raj. “India has always had the problem that when faced with the crunch matches, the team does not necessarily step up. If it is a very crucial game in the T20s, the World Cup, or even just that dictates a series win, we tend to fall down in that match.
“The girls are so talented, but it’s just a matter of how well they pull themselves up after a defeat. That’s what makes world champions,” she said after the loss to Australia.
But that will be easier said than done. Led by the indomitable Suzie Bates, New Zealand has only lost to the top two sides in the table – England and Australia. They have beaten everyone else with huge margins – Sri Lanka by nine wickets, West Indies and Pakistan by eight wickets.
Dangerous opponents
The White Ferns have a well-balanced unit, with experienced players like Bates, Amy Satterthwaite and Rachel Priest, the dangerous Sophie Devine – who scored a record nine sixes in an innings, and rising stars like 16-year-old spin sensation Amelia Kerr and Hannah Rowe, who have all shown their immense potential in the tournament so far.
However, India does have a very slight edge, their match against South Africa was washed out and a tie or a washout in this match would be enough for India to go through, as India is currently one point better off.
The other advantage that India can exploit is that New Zealand lost to England by 75 runs in the last match and will be still stinging from the defeat in which Nat Sciver blasted their bowling attack for her second century this World Cup. Hopefully, it is a blow that the Kiwi bowlers have not recovered from.
For India to get the better of their opposition, they will have to show the intent and initiative they showed in the opener against the same England where their batting masterclass and spin gave them a 35-run win. India will have to channel the same spirit that propelled them to four consecutive wins to start the tournament.
Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma and Raj have all been in good touch through the tournament but the batting lineup has not clicked together, except in the opener when they scored 281. Opener Mandhana will be a crucial cog in the wheel for India on Saturday. After two impressive knocks in the first two games, she slumped to four consecutive single digit scores which severely impacted India’s start. The team will be hoping for the left-hander to get back to her blistering ways to set the platform for the innings. The middle order, especially the attacking Harmanpreet Kaur, will also have to take up more responsibility if the top order falls short once again.
On the bowling front, pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami has not seemed her threatening self despite the conditions offering early movement to pacers and Raj will once again relying on their spinners – Deepti Sharma, Ekta Bisht, Harmanpreet and Poonam Yadav to carry the bulk of the bowling on their shoulders.
Fielding, which has proved to be a major problem area for India throughout the tournament, will also have to improve a lot. In the first three games alone, India dropped eight catches while as many as 15 runs were scored off misfields in the match against Australia. These lapses could prove to be the difference between semifinals and a flight home for India.
However, for both the team and fans, there is something more at stake than a semifinal spot; the legacy of some of India’s biggest names. If India lose the match, it will be the last ever World Cup match for captain and ODI record-holder Mihali Raj. It will also likely be the World Cup swansong of fellow 34-year-old, pacer Jhulan Goswami.
These two stalwarts have held up women’s cricket in India for almost two decades now, have been runners up at the tournament in 2005 and have come to England with a team best prepared to make a charge in the knockouts. But if the team fails to go the distance, it might mean curtains for the record-breaking Indians, at the global stage at least.
With so much riding on the match, it will be a test of India’s character, one where they will have to show the fight they have been lacking in the last two games. In the end, win or lose, it is this resilient fight that will make the difference to the team and women’s cricket in India.
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