Follow UsIndia are without Jemimah Rodrigues?
Ahead of a do-or-die fixture against England, there was a lot of chaos surrounding India’s best combination. While the batting depth has certainly given them a few extra runs, the lack of proper bowling resources have often led to them losing things.
So, all eyes were on whether India would continue to have the same tried-and-tested combination for the clash against England. However, that’s when Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur shocked everyone, stating that ‘Jemimah is out, Renuka Singh Thakur is in the side today’.
Why?
“Having an extra bowler is always a great option and that will give us confidence in the field. She (Renuka) has a great record against England and that was the biggest reason we wanted her back in the side,” Harmanpreet said at the toss.
The 29-year-old does have a great record against England in WODIs, with eight wickets at an average of 12.12, including best figures of 4/29. But the catch here is that her previous two performances – both good – came in England, where the conditions were far more suitable for seam bowlers.
Jemimah missing out from the playing XI is partly due to her inconsistent run at the ongoing Women’s World Cup, where she’s scored 0, 32, 0, 33 in the four clashes.
“Indian team will feel that this is a much better afternoon. He’s dropped a genuine batter in favour of a bowler; it was always going to be a tough call. She’s been in the team for a long time. Hard decisions have to be taken when it hasn’t gone your way,” Anjum Chopra said on commentary during the clash.
“A call could have been between Harleen Deol or Jemimah. Harleen scored a hundred earlier this year, and Jemimah had done really well with her fielding as well. The result hasn’t gone India’s way, so they have been forced to take the hard decisions.
But the right-hander missing out could leave the batting slightly thin for the Women in Blue on the best of batting conditions thus far in the World Cup. If India do miss out on two crucial points against England, there will be a lot of scanner on this call.
Meanwhile, England bring back their two big guns – Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell – after the two missed the last game due to illness. A win here would go a long way in sealing England’s qualification for the next stage.
India Women (Playing XI): Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur
England Women (Playing XI): Amy Jones(w), Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt(c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell