Follow UsThe white-ball leg of India A women’s tour of Australia has just come to an end, with both teams winning one series each. While the Aussies were far too good in the T20s, the Indians bounced back strongly in the One-dayers, winning the series 2-1.
However, the series carried much more significance for the Indian side, as there are several holes in the ODI setup that need to be filled, and this tour did provide a few answers.
Let’s look at the key takeaways from the white-ball leg of this tour for the India A women:
Harleen Deol is currently India’s number three in ODIs. While she has scored some runs, her strike rate of 79 after 16 games at that position has raised questions about her credentials.
Yastika Bhatia, a late inclusion in the A team, made the most of her opportunity by finishing as India A’s highest run-scorer in the series. She amassed 167 runs in three innings at a stellar average of 55.66, striking at 85.64.
This is exactly the kind of tempo and consistency India needs from their number three batter. The fact that she is also a wicketkeeper secures her place as the backup keeper in the squad, and now it is up to the team management to reward her with that crucial batting spot.
Ahh, Shafali.
Shafali Verma’s place at the top of the order in ODIs was contingent on her making runs in this A series, but she failed to deliver. Her 52 in the third one-dayer came only after the series had already been decided, and even then, her ability to build an innings in this format looked shaky at best.
She also failed to fire in the T20s, falling to Kim Garth multiple times. Shafali needs to prove she can score consistently against quality opposition and when the team needs her most, which makes it highly unlikely that she will be part of India's World Cup squad come September.
With right-arm wrist spinners Asha Sobhana and Priya Mishra sidelined due to injury, coach Amol Muzumdar was on the lookout for a strong leg-spin option ahead of the ODI World Cup.
Enters Prema Rawat.
Not only does she have the control needed for ODIs, shown by her economy rate of 4.94 in the three one-dayers, but she also demonstrated serious wicket-taking ability in the T20 series, where she picked up seven wickets at an average of just 9.28 and an economy of 5.4.
With the ability to turn the ball both ways and bowl skiddy, deceptive spells in the middle overs, Rawat could be a real handful on slow Indian tracks. Muzumdar and Harmanpreet Kaur will no doubt have her firmly on their radar.
Those who follow Indian women’s domestic cricket know that Radha Yadav has solid batting potential, but it has never been displayed at the international level. That changed in this series.
Radha was India’s second-highest run-scorer in the one-dayers, scoring 97 runs in three innings at an average of 32.33. Her standout performance came during the chase in the second one-dayer, where she struck a crucial 60 off 78 balls to help India overhaul a target of 266 and seal the series.
Combined with her fielding and left-arm spin, Radha’s emergence as a reliable lower-order batter makes her the front-runner to be India’s lead left-arm spinner in the upcoming ODI World Cup.
With Renuka Singh Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar injured, and no clarity on their availability for the upcoming ODI World Cup, India were hoping some pacers in this A series would step up.
Unfortunately, none quite did.
Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, and Shabnam Shakil all leaked runs and struggled to deliver regular breakthroughs. While each had moments of promise, their inconsistency was glaring compared to the Australia A pace attack featuring Kim Garth, Darcie Brown, Tess Flintoff, and Tahlia McGrath.
India are in serious trouble when it comes to pace bowling depth. At this point, fans can only cross their fingers and hope for the quick return to fitness of Renuka, Pooja, and even Kashvee Gautam, who has looked sharp whenever she has played.