India’s Harmanpreet Kaur throughout follow session forward of the 2st ODI between India and New Zealand girls’s Cricket Match at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on October 26, 2024.
| Picture Credit score: VIJAY SONEJI
Poor White Ferns.
They recorded one of many best moments in New Zealand’s cricket historical past final Sunday, lifting the T20 World Cup, however they might not return residence to the cool air of New Zealand to have fun: as an alternative, right here they’re within the warmth of western India, licking their wounds after struggling a crushing defeat within the opening ODI.
Sophie Devine’s girls have to be determined to bounce again within the second ODI on Sunday.
They should win with a view to maintain the three-match sequence alive, however extra importantly, they’ve to attain factors on the ICC Ladies’s Championship desk, which decides the groups for subsequent yr’s World Cup.
Because the host, India has no worries of qualification. However the Ladies in Blue ought to wish to win the sequence in opposition to the T20 World Cup winner with a recreation to spare. They, after all, seemed the higher aspect within the first recreation, regardless of failing to bat by the 50 overs on an excellent monitor. That none of their batters may even attain fifty regardless of getting stars might be a trigger for concern.
The likes of Shafali Verma, D. Hemalatha and Smriti Mandhana, the stand-in captain for the injured Harmanpreet Kaur – she educated on Friday, although — could not have loved watching the highlights of the Indian innings. However Tejal Hasabnis would. The 27-year-old debutant performed sensibly, and with confidence, to top-score, after coming at 91 for 4. Saima Thakor additionally had a wonderful debut, choosing up two wickets. She was a part of what was a wonderful Indian assault, which was effectively served by Deepti Sharma’s clever variations of tempo and Radha Yadav’s flight.
The visiting batters must provide you with a greater present in opposition to the Indian bowlers. A few of them had seemed good, as they reached 20s or 30s, however no person touched 40.
There’s, nevertheless, loads of expertise and expertise in New Zealand’s batting, within the type of skipper Devine, Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer and Brooke Halliday.
However, the White Ferns have been dealt a heavy blow: Amelia Kerr, the leg-spinning all-rounder who was the participant of the ultimate and of the match on the T20 World Cup, is flying residence on Sunday after struggling a grade one quadriceps tear. She was their finest bowler within the opening recreation.
Poor White Ferns, certainly.
Revealed – October 27, 2024 12:03 pm IST
