Plethora of questions unanswered for India

A couple of months after the conclusion of the Women's Premier League, all eyes were on the Indian team as they embarked on their journey to Bangladesh for the white-ball series. 

While they came agonizingly short of clinching the coveted title at world events on numerous occasions, there were a few areas of concern for the team that led to their downfall every single time. 

However, with the next T20 World Cup being hosted by Bangladesh next year, the three-match T20I series was set to be a stepping stone for Harmanpreet Kaur and the side to find their ideal combination for the marquee event. 

The team management made some bold calls in the lead-up to the series by dropping a few prominent names that created a bit of a stir on social media. 

Read: Ambiguity in selection headlines India Women's return

There was plenty of chatter about their replacements and WPL performers being ignored, and the three games showcased some glaring issues for the Women in Blue in their quest for a maiden world title. 

Shafali Verma's dismal outing

Over the years, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have forged a dominant opening combination for the Indian side. The duo have taken the attack to the opposition in powerplays and, more often than not, laid a solid foundation for the side in the first half of the innings. 

However, the same cannot be said in this series, as Shafali just couldn't get going. In the three innings, she scored 0, 19 and 11 - resulting in enormous pressure on the middle order. 

There ain't any doubt that the right-handed batter has struggled at the international level in the last 12 months, with a highest score of 33 in her last 10 innings. 

The 19-year-old had a decent stint with Delhi Capitals in the WPL, but her heroics have failed to translate into substantial performances while donning the national colors. 

The sluggish wickets on offer have also not really helped her cause, but India would be desperate for their swashbuckling opener to find some form in the fifty-over format. 

India's middle-order muddle

Shafali's lukewarm returns are one of the significant areas of concern, there is another aspect Harmanpreet and the team management would be eager to find solutions for in the coming games. 

With Richa Ghosh dropped due to fitness concerns, India handed Yastika Bhatia the responsibility of batting at number five. However, the southpaw is much suited to bat at the top of the order and failed to create any magic in the middle overs or at the back end of the innings. 

Finding an ideal middle-order batter who can mould themselves into a finisher is something India have been desperate to find in the last couple of years. 

And it was something that haunted the Women in Blue in the last game as they lost six wickets for 11 runs in the back end of the innings. The horrendous performance restricted them to 102 runs, resulting in their third loss against Bangladesh in this format. 

If Ghosh continues to miss out, India could use Yastika at number three and have Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur shoulder responsibility at the death.  

Devika shines bright in limited opportunities

After taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series, India made a couple of changes to the playing XI for the last game, with Devika Vaidya replacing Harleen Deol. 

The right-handed batter struggled in the second outing scoring six off 21 deliveries after coming in at number five. With Deol not contributing with the ball, she was dropped for the all-round option of Vaidya. 

The 25-year-old made a comeback to the Indian team in their home series against Australia in December 2022 and has produced some valuable performances in the limited opportunities. 

Vaidya was accurate and conceded only 16 runs in her four overs, including the prized wickets of Nigar Sultana Joty and Sultana Khatun to bring India back into the game in their pursuit of defending 102 runs. 

The Pune-born player adds a different dimension to the Indian side as she is a handy left-hander in the middle order and can contribute with four overs of leg spin every game. 

With the Indian team struggling to find a leg spinner to replace Poonam Yadav, Vaidya's inclusion is the way forward for the team to plug this hole. 

While the Bangladesh series did not help the Indian team answer many questions around team selection, it well and truly showcased that India have a lot to work on in the next 14 months if they aim to be successful in this land.