3 takeaways from India's ICC Women's T20 World Cup win over West Indies
India's ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign couldn't have got off to a better start in terms of results. The Asian giants have won their opening two contests against Pakistan and West Indies and are favorites to make it to the semi-finals from Group B, along with England.
In fact, the top two teams will lock horns next, looking to make it three wins out of three games and secure their place in the next round. After a thrilling seven-wicket win over Pakistan, the Women in Blue cruised past the West Indies, registering a six-wicket triumph.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. have had a lot of positives to take from their opening two games. However, they will hope to keep their winning run intact.
On that note, let's take a look at three takeaways from India's T20 World Cup win over the West Indies:
#1 India's bowling is still a concern
Harmanpreet Kaur's side have been on a decent run in the shortest format in recent times. After clinching the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, they won the Asia Cup last year and have been finding ways to win despite their bowling not being at its best.
Death bowling has been a concern for a while, and so has the team's reliability on Deepti Sharma. The off-spinner is India's leading wicket-taker this year, taking 13 wickets in seven matches. The next best bowlers on the list are Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav, and Pooja Vastrakar, who are tied on four wickets each.
If they are to go all the way in the tournament, their bowling unit will need to step up to the plate, especially against tougher oppositions like Australia, England, and South Africa. For that, Renuka Singh Thakur might need to start finding her best form soon.
#2 Richa Ghosh is the real deal
Shafali Verma made the headlines after becoming India's Women's U-19 T20 World Cup-winning captain earlier this month. However, another player who played her part in the tournament was Richa Ghosh, who sealed her spot as a finisher in the shortest format for the Women in Blue.
In her short career so far, the wicketkeeper from Siliguri has scored 502 runs at an average of 26.42 at a strike rate of 135.67. Ghosh has been sensational at the backend of the innings with her ability and power game.
However, she also showed immense maturity and class in India's second match against West Indies at the T20 World Cup. Walking in during a tricky situation at 43-3 while chasing a target of 118, Ghosh scored an unbeaten 44 off 32 balls to lead India to victory and showed that she is here to stay.
#3 Fielding standards need to be raised
Another long-term concern for India has been their fielding. Fielding standards have been raised in recent times with youthful exuberance from young players like Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Radha Yadav coming to the fore.
However, missed run-out chances and dropped catches still seem to be a regular feature for the rest of the squad. Against the West Indies, India missed a handful of run-out opportunities and also dropped a couple of catches.
The misfields didn't help the team's cause either but they got away with it at the end of the day with the West Indies posting a below-par total. However, against the tougher sides, the Women in Blue might not be so lucky and the missed chances might come back to haunt them.