Do the Indian Women's Cricket team have it in them to go all the way at the World T20?
Sometimes it takes only a little bit of motivation to bring the best out of either an individual or a team. Other times, it requires an affirmation from the authorities that you are important to us and we don’t think of you as undeserving.
Also read: Live Streaming Info: India Women vs England Women ICC T20 WC 2016, TV Listing
The Indian Women’s Cricket team, in recent times, are among the fortunate ones who have got both of the above-mentioned qualities. They got the latter when the new regime under Shashank Manohar of the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) decided to award them with Central Contracts to keep them on-par with the Men in Blue.
The former came their way as early as last month when their T20 series against Australia was televised Live by the official broadcaster. Now in the past, whenever the team has played matches at home, they have been shown live on television, but could you have imagined the thrill that some would’ve felt to be live on TV not while playing in their own backyard but on foreign turf.
Women’s team recognition coincides with sparkling form
And both the decisions taken by both parties proved to be a positive influence on the girls. In Australia last month, they put in two sterling performances in the first two T20Is, one of which was their highest successful run-chase in their history at the Adelaide Oval against a team that has not just won the premier international competition three times in a row in 2010, 2012 and 2014, but also boasts of some of the best young cricketers in the form of Elysse Perry, Meg Lanning etc.
The exploits were unexpected, but as I said on top, sometimes when you give someone what they feel they deserve, it makes a huge difference. The new found confidence in their play was evident when they came back and hammered Sri Lanka 3-0 in the 50 overs format and then beat 3-0 in the T20Is.
You would be cruel to say that these performances were a fluke. One look at the team and it should convince you that they are no pushovers, but neither are they, genuine contenders.
In Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, they have two experienced campaigners who have seen a lot in Indian cricket, including two of its most famous triumphs coming in Taunton and Wormsley in 2006 and 2014, the latter also coming at a time when their male counterparts were failing to put even 200 runs on the board.
New look to Indian team
Raj would be delighted to see the emergence and further blossoming of Harmanpreet Kaur, who has looked the real deal, especially while playing in coloured clothing for India. The right-hander averages 35.57 in the 55 ODIs that she has played so far with two centuries and provides a sense of reliability to the seasoned campaigner.
She also has a highest score of 77 in 57 T20Is and played an instrumental role in India reaching the tall order of 141 at Adelaide, scoring 46 off 31 balls to seal the win.
In Smriti Mandhana, Raj seems to have found an opening partner at the top in T20Is who would be the perfect foil for her. A left-hander who already has an ODI century to her credit after just 20 ODIs, Mandhana may not blaze away from ball one, but certainly keeps the tempo going, something that would serve her skipper well at the other end.
In Veda Krishnamurthy and Anuja Patil, they have two capable players that form the middle order along with Kaur.
Coming to the bowling, in Goswami, the team possess a canny operator, someone who has over the years developed into a leader for the Indian bowling attack and learnt the art of bowling in different conditions.If India is to do well, then there is no doubt that she will need to bring her ‘A’ game to the fore.
What though will comfort Raj will be the fact that the Women in Blue have in their disposal a trio of crafty spinners in the form of Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayekwad.
In 27 T20Is, Bisht has 29 scalps at an economy of 5.60, the leg-break of Yadav have fetched her and the team 26 wickets while Gayekwad has 14 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of 6.50.This feature of the Indian bowling will play a critical role in the upcoming few weeks at the World T20.
Also, not to forget the fact this team is a more than competent fielding unit, as was seen in Australia, with the kind of excellent catches some of them pulled off.
But the real question will be: Can India punch above their weights against the likes of England, Australia and New Zealand? Can they make full use of the home conditions? Raj will need to play a key role to play in keeping her teammates motivated and ensure that they don't lose their composure when they going gets tough.
India have reached the semis of the World T20 twice in the past. Can they go a few steps further and clinch it in front of home fans now give them a moment to remember?? Only time will tell.