India captain Mithali Raj and senior pacer Jhulan Goswami on Wednesday said top-order batters haven't been performing to the level that is expected of them but expressed hope that they would make amends soon in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup. "We definitely didn't have partnership at the top of order, despite getting what we wanted after losing the toss. The thought of putting 200+, the match could have gone either ways," Raj said after the loss that came just after a massive win over the West Indies in the previous match in which Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur scored hundreds.
"Every game as a fielding unit we are doing well and we hope to continue to do that. Batting is a concern but we'll try to address that in the next match, we are playing a team that hasn't lost to anyone," she added about the clash against mighty Australia next.
The view was echoed by Goswami in the post-math press conference.
"Honestly speaking, at this moment, yes our top order, the way we are thinking, they haven't fired but I am sure you will have to be positive about that, because they have done really well in the past," she said.
"...The way we have been thinking, they have not batted, but I am very much hopeful they are going to come back hard in the next game," Goswami added.
Despite the defeat, India kept their third place in the eight-team standings with four points from two wins and as many losses. England moved up one place to sixth with two points from four matches.
"Because everybody wants to do well and this is the biggest platform, everybody wants to do well and contribute to the team. Again I am very much hopeful that they are going to come back stronger in the next game," added Goswami, who picked up her 250th ODI wicket in the game.