An allround effort helped India beat Pakistan by 107 runs in their Women's World Cup opener. But the match exposed some chinks which Mithali Raj and her team will have to overcome to win their second outing against hosts New Zealand on Thursday.
New Zealand will go into the contest with a psychological advantage against India, with the odds stacked heavily against the latter. On 12 occasions the two teams have faced each other in the ODI showpiece event, India have won just two matches and one ended in a tie. Recently, New Zealand defeated India 4-1 in an ODI series.
India, the previous edition finalists, will have to bring their 'A' game to the field to best their opposition, who began their campaign with a three-run loss to West Indies before registering a nine-wicket win over Bangladesh in their second match.
Among the bigger concerns for India is the form of their established batters, especially Mithali (9), who failed to get going against Pakistan along with an equally unimpressive Harmanpreet Kaur (5). Eventually, Sneh Rana (53) and Pooja Vastrakar (67) bailed the team out with their heroics.
Also worrisome is the poor run of teenage talent Shafali Verma, who has been struggling at the top of the order. In the series against New Zealand, the opener mustered 96 runs in five outings. Against Pakistan she failed to open her account.
India's struggle against spin in the previous match will not be lost on New Zealand in Hamilton. Against a formidable New Zealand lineup which includes star batters Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, seasoned pacer Jhulan Goswami and left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad need to be at their incisive best.
Speaking about the match ahead, Jhulan said in a press conference on Wednesday: "The match is going to be a different ball game. It's a fresh game and a World Cup game. We are definitely looking forward to making sure that we do well."
Jhulan is on the cusp of a personal milestone, being just two wickets away from becoming the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup. With 38 wickets, Jhulan is one scalp away from equalling Australia's Lyn Fulltston's record of 39 wickets.
The 39-year-old veteran pointed out that personal milestones were not on her mind. "If you play for a long time, you are going to achieve a few individual milestones. Yes, that gives me a lot of joy and I enjoy it when I contribute and the team wins. Personal milestones do not matter to me as I am an absolute team player," she stated.
