Follow UsIndia women are set to kick start a five-match T20I series against England women, at Trent Bridge on June 28 (Saturday). Whilst the T20 World Cup is still a year away, the five-match series will allow the youngsters and the newly formed bowling unit to showcase their skills.
India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana admitted that it is also a brilliant series for the batters to improve their own game, considering the ever-growing demands of the format.
"I think [in the] T20 game for me, there's a lot of things which I always feel like there's a lot of scope of improvement for. And not only me, I mean, most of the batters, it's a format which you have to keep improvising and keep improving because the other teams keep getting you, keep planning against the way you bat," Mandhana said in the pre-match press conference.
However, Mandhana also reckoned that these five matches will give the girls a good experience of the conditions in the United Kingdom, given that the next edition of the T20 World Cup will be in the UK.
"I think because we have a T20 World Cup next year around the same time, around the summer of UK, which is again similar conditions, so I'm sure this five T20s will be a good prep for a lot of the girls and for us to also see to the conditions and how they all suit their game too. I think also five T20s is a good amount of cricket in the same conditions just one year before the World Cup," she said.
India arrived early in the UK, with a couple of practice games before the five-match series. Mandhana opened up about the other preparation and practice that the team had at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before the series.
"It's been a good 25 days of prep, we had batters and bowlers camp at Bangalore at NCA and that was also very targeted and specific, keeping in mind this tour," Mandhana said. "Of course, we came a little earlier here, good eight days of prep, a few good practise matches... we got to know a lot of things about the England conditions, especially [for] a lot of girls, it's their first England tour so it was important for them to come here early and get used to the conditions," she added.
With the likes of Kranti Goud, Sree Charani and more players expected to play their first series in the UK, Mandhana expects the series to be a good learning experience for them.
"[We have] ...A new look pace-bowling unit because unfortunately, there are a few injuries which had happened over the last four to five months, but really exciting, I mean [the] WPL has been good in terms of finding new people and of course, the domestic system as well.”