Form of openers, bowling main areas of concern as India head into T20 WC

For the second time in eight months, the Indian women’s cricket team may well have to depend on individual brilliance to win an ICC title, considering their shortcomings in all departments.

The road to the path-breaking ODI World Cup triumph in November was full of bumps, but Jemimah Rodrigues carried the team on her shoulders to get their hands on the elusive trophy.

Not so long ago, India seemed to have most bases covered in the shortest format, but the back-to-back series loss in South Africa and England in the lead-up to the T20 showpiece has exposed the obvious chinks in the armour.

The form of openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana has been tepid of late, with the lower-order also not performing as per expectations. The team’s designated power hitter, Richa Ghosh, doesn’t have runs under her belt going into the World Cup opener against Pakistan on June 14.

The performance of veteran all-rounder Deepti Sharma, too, has left a lot to be desired both with bat and ball. As per former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy, India’s main problems lie with the ball and not so much in the batting and fielding departments.

Her concerns are valid as England gunned down a competitive target of 181 comfortably against India to win the three-match series in the UK.

The absence of all-rounders Kashvee Gautam and Amanjot Kaur has negatively impacted the balance of the squad. Traditionally, India has been spin-heavy with not many options in the pace department. Nandini Sharma has emerged as a rare positive in the pace attack, while left-arm spinner Shree Charani too has been impressive. Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil has done decently since her comeback, but overall, the bowling doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.

“The team has not done well of late, but they continue to have a positive body language. I am backing them to go all the way.

“Having said that, our bowling is not as good as our batting and fielding.  We were always known for a good bowling attack. We can’t say that now,” Shantha told PTI.

In all probability, 37-year-old Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur would be playing in her last World Cup. Her role in the middle order will be crucial if India is to consistently post totals above 180.

“I am a fan of Harmanpreet the batter. She remains as fit as ever. However, I always wanted her to focus more on her batting rather than captaincy. If she can find her rhythm, it makes the job much easier for others,” added Shantha.

At top of the order, the lack of runs from Mandhana’s bat causes plenty of concern as she is usually among the consistent performers.