SERIES PREVIEW
Follow UsWhile all the focus has been on the mega auction of the Indian Premier League, little do the cricket frenzy fans know that the Women in Blue will set foot for the first of the five-match ODI series on 12th February at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown.
In less than a month, the most awaited tournament in the history of women's cricket, the World Cup, is all set to commence in the land of the Kiwis.
While the iconic event was always contested away from the glaring eyes of the media, things changed for the good in the 2017 edition as the players across the globe received their fair share of appreciation after a riveting World Cup.
Four years after the summit clash at the Home of Cricket, the Indian team has undergone a plethora of changes in the personnel and the strategies heading into the mega event. While they unearthed young stars in their last series against Australia, the team has been plagued with inconsistency post the pandemic.
On the other hand, the White Ferns have been in a team in transition with young players aiming to carve a niche for themselves in the international arena. The two sides endured a dismal performance last season and would want to make amends in the first series of this season and the upcoming World Cup.
In 11 matches played by the two sides last year, India managed to win three, whereas New Zealand edged past their opponents in only two games. With the two teams struggling in this format, this five-match series will provide them with an ideal opportunity to iron out the chinks in their armour before the World Cup.
Opening woes for the White Ferns
One of the glaring issues for the home team will be the lack of runs scored by their premier batter, Suzie Bates, in the past season.
The right-handed batter struggled with her form and fitness through the year and scored 57 runs in five innings at an average of 11.4, which is the worst among openers with a minimum of five innings.
With a fairly inexperienced batting unit, the onus of the side will rely heavily on the former skipper of the side to guide them in this high-voltage tournament.
India's middle-order muddle
While the Indian contingent boasts of a lethal opening combination in Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, the same cannot be said about the performance and the intent showcased by the middle-order batters.
In a pre-departure press conference, Mithali Raj firmly responded to the strike rate conundrum of the Indian side by saying, "I think too much importance is given to strike rate."
One of the reasons, the 39-year old is constantly questioned about the lack of impetus of the Indian side has been the performance of the skipper herself along with her deputy.
Despite being the second-highest run-scorer in this format in 2021 with 582 runs in 10 innings at an average of 72.75, Mithali has struggled to find the boundary in the middle overs.
In the 32 innings post the last edition of the World Cup, the right-handed batter has amassed 1201 runs at a strike rate of 62.8, the worst among the top-ten run-scorers in that period.
India's lack of firepower at the death
While the Women in Blue have been struggling to consistently keep the scoreboard ticking, another significant area that has plagued the chances of the team in posting massive first innings total or chasing down a target has been the lack of firepower in the back end of the innings.
With the Indian team not having an explosive batter down the order, the team has struggled to find the ropes at the death and scored a boundary every 10.5 deliveries between overs 41-50, the worst among the top-six nations.
Performance of spinners on opposite ends of the spectrum
Over the years, India have been heavily reliant on their spinners to create inroads in the middle overs and restrict the flow of runs. However, in ODIs since the 2017 World Cup, the Indian tweakers have scalped a wicket every 51.6 deliveries, the worst among the top-six nations.
On the other hand, the White Ferns have plenty of spinners coming through the ranks, with Amelia Kerr at the forefront and have a balls per wicket ratio of 38.9, the second-best among the top-six nations.
A stern test awaits both teams
While there is plenty to ponder for the two sides, this bilateral series will provide them with an opportunity to try out their combinations before the World Cup.
With the World Cup set to test the ability of the players to absorb the pressure of the high-voltage tournament along with their skill sets, the two teams will have their work cut out as they aim for the coveted trophy.
Squad for the ODI series:
India: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (Captain), Amy Satterthwaite (vice-captain), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.