India bloom late in the curtain-raiser ahead of the World Cup

A nail-biting thriller against South Africa in the summit clash of the ICC Qualifier in 2016 and a crushing 4-1 series defeat against the White Ferns in 2022, the Women in Blue have endured contrasting starts to their two World Cup campaigns. 

Over a month after setting foot in the southern hemisphere, the Indian team have managed to record their first win in the white-ball series against New Zealand ahead of the much-awaited World Cup set to commence in a couple of weeks. 

The series touted to be a litmus test for the two sides as they bid for the iconic event was a fairly one-sided affair as the White Ferns produced consistent performances to register an emphatic series win and showcase their dominance in home conditions. 

The Women in Blue entered this series after a six-month hiatus away from international cricket and looked rusty in the first couple of games. With the growing concerns of the pandemic and the quarantine restrictions, the Indian team could manage only a handful of practice sessions in order to get acclimatised to the conditions on offer.

While they were scratchy with the ball and in the field all through the series, the batting unit of the side performed exceedingly well in conditions conducive for stroke play. 

With Richa Ghosh and Mithali Raj consistently scoring runs, the only missing chink in the armour for the Indian side was the lack of runs from Harmanpreet Kaur. 

However, in the final game of the series, chasing 252, Indian cricket team fans and the team management would be delighted with the performance of their vice-captain. Coming in at number four, the right-handed batter smashed 63 off 66 deliveries studded with six boundaries and one huge hit over the fence to guide the team over the line and avoid a whitewash. 

After struggling with runs all through the series and in the last season, the 32-year old managed to notch up her second half-century in 11 innings to find some much-needed form ahead of the mega event. The Women in Blue will rely heavily on the experience of Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj to guide the inexperienced middle-order in this coveted tournament.

India's struggle with the new ball 

While the team management would be relieved by the return to form of their premier batter, another area of concern for them would be the lack of inroads created by the pacers to support Jhulan Goswami. 

In the 2021 season, the fast bowlers have managed to scalp only three wickets and leaked runs at an economy rate of over five runs per over. While it will be an understatement to say that the Indian bowling has been heavily reliable on Goswami to dent the opposition with early wickets, the veteran pacer will need support from her fellow speedsters to help India get some vital wickets upfront. In this series, the 39-year old failed to get any assistance from her new ball partners as the Women in Blue could rarely manage to create inroads in favorable batting conditions.

Spin attack on the opposite ends of the spectrum 

Over the years, the Women in Blue have been reliant on their spinner to give the vital breakthroughs and stem the flow of runs by the opposition batters in the middle overs. However, the spinners have struggled with their consistency in the last couple of years, resulting in the Indian team chasing a mammoth first innings total or failing to defend a target.

In the 2021 season, the Indian spinners have balls per wicket ratio of 89, the worst among the top five nations. On the other hand, the White Ferns are on top of the list with balls per wicket ratio of 30. 

New Zealand bank on Amelia Kerr's all-around abilities

One of the reasons for New Zealand's rise at the international level and their clinical performances in the last season has been the rise of Amelia Kerr. En route to her half-century in the final match of the series, the 21-year old became the third-fastest player to score 1000 runs and pick 50 wickets in ODI cricket. 

Her all-around abilities help to lend balance to the White Ferns, and she will be a vital cog leading into the World Cup as they bid to rewrite history books. 

Fielding concerns for the two sides

In the six games of the white-ball series, one of the glaring issues for the sides was the fielding standard of the two teams across formats. While the White Ferns have been brilliant in the field, the team endured a dismal performance in the series as they dropped 14 catches and managed to have a catch efficiency of 68.9. 

The Women in Blue, too, had a torrid time in the field and dropped eight catches in the six games and will need to work hard in this aspect of the game if they aim to go a step further in the World Cup. 

The road ahead

In a pre-departure press conference before the 2017 World Cup, Mithali Raj said, "We want to win the World Cup because it would be a revolution kind of a thing for Indian women's cricket. It would give a big impetus for young girls to take up the sport."

Despite agonisingly falling short in the summit clash at the Home of Cricket, the Women in Blue managed to create a revolution back home with millions of kids taking up a sport to emulate their idols. 

While not many gave them a chance in the last edition of the World Cup, this time around, all eyes will be on the Indian team as they set foot for the most-awaited clash against Pakistan at Bay Oval, carrying a billion hopes.