Will Mithali's dream of holding the 'elusive' trophy be fulfilled?In her recent interviews, Indian women’s team captain Mithali Raj has heavily emphasized how desperately she wants to end her career on a high, capping it by winning the upcoming World Cup. Mithali’s 23-years-long cricketing career has come a full circle as she is set to become the first player to feature in six editions of the Women’s World Cup.
Mithali was part of the Indian team that played in the 2000 World Cup in New Zealand. Two decades later, she is returning to the same country in the hope of a perfect farewell. In these 22 years, the right-handed batter has reached the finals twice (2005 & 2017). As far as personal records are concerned, Mithali might end the tournament as second behind Debbie Hockley’s 45 appearances, but can surpass Belinda Clark’s 23 World Cup matches as captain.
The question remains, will her dream of holding the ‘elusive’ trophy be fulfilled?
Mithali Raj in action. (Twitter)
Numbers cloud the story
India had lost the recent ODI series against New Zealand 1-4. They won the last ODI with Smriti Mandhana, coming back into the team, scoring a fluent 71 up front, and Mithali and Harmampreet also scored fifties.
Mithali Raj, in her last 15 innings, has scored 735 runs at an impressive-looking 66.81, including nine half-centuries. Now sample this: out of these nine fifties, only two have come in Indian wins. A legend Mithali is, but she always has maintained that too much importance has been given to the strike rate. Last year, in the first ODI against Australia, Mithali scored a painstaking 63 off 107 balls, and if not for Richa Ghosh (32 not out off 29 balls), India were struggling to reach the 200-run mark. The Australian women tamed the total in 41 overs.
In the first ODI against England, played at Bristol on June 27, Mithali scored 72 off 108 balls, and India could muster only 201 for 8 in 50 overs. England’s Nat Sciver, batting at the same position as Mithali, smacked a run-a-ball 74, and the hosts reached the target in 34.5 overs.
💬 💬 “It’s important to peak at the right time in the World Cup.”#TeamIndia Captain @M_Raj03 shares her thoughts about momentum ahead of the #CWC22. 👍 👍 pic.twitter.com/1XiTFDtleb
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 26, 2022
India’s archaic approach
Women’s cricket over the years has changed drastically. But India are struck with their outdated approach. In the last 15 games, Mithali, who bats at No 3 or 4 for India, has a below-par strike rate of 71.01, which is better than her career strike rate of 66.27.
England’s No 4 Nat Sciver’s career strike rate is 92. Australia’s No 4 Ellyse Perry scores at 76.33, Beth Mooney, who bats either at 3 or 4, has scored at 82.41 in her career. New Zealand’s No 4 Amy Satterthwaite’s strike rate is 75.71. South Africa’s No 4 Mignon du Preez (67.23) and West Indies No 4 Stafanie Taylor (69.45) have a better career strike rate than the Indian captain.
Why batting at No 4 will be a crucial spot in the upcoming World cup? According to ESPNcricinfo stats, the 2022 edition could well end up breaking the all-time record in terms of run scoring. The highest run rate in a World Cup so far is 4.67 in the 2017 edition. In the period between 2013 and 2017, the average run rate in ODIs was only 4.07. Since the 2017 World Cup, the run rate in ODIs has spiked to 4.51. The higher run rates in this period have also coincided with more success for chasing teams.
If you are chasing, you will need your No 4 and 5 to score at a quick rate. The No 4 and No 5 are the spots where India’s captain and vice-captain will bat.
Harmanpreet Kaur in action. (Twitter)
Harmanpreet Kaur’s lean run
Since the 2017 World Cup final, Harmanpreet Kaur has scored 639 runs in 27 innings, with just three half-centuries, the last of those coming in the fifth ODI against New Zealand last week. Harmanpreet Kaur scored a total of 33 runs in the first three matches against New Zealand before being dropped from the side for the fourth ODI. However, in the final game, the right-hander smashed 63, following it up with a 104 in the warm-up match against South Africa.
In her defence, Harmanpreet Kaur said: “I know people talk more about my 171-knock, and that is a standard I have set for myself, maybe that’s why my small knocks of 30-40 runs, which are crucial to the team, are not given importance.”
During the virtual press conference, Harmanpreet Kaur confirmed that she would be batting at number five in the World Cup.
“I am more comfortable at four but sometimes you have to play according to the demands of the team. We had discussions on that and as of now I’m going to play at number 5 but in future if there are any changes that would be according to match situations.”
Indian batters have been able to score 250 regularly in the series defeat against New Zealand, but they will need someone like Harmanpreet Kaur to stay till the end.
Harmanpreet Kaur in her last 15 ODI innings, has mustered only 381 runs, including two fifties, but a couple of good knocks ahead of the World Cup has worked as a confidence booster.
“The innings against New Zealand was very crucial for me. I got the rhythm I needed now, it’s very important for me to continue this rhythm and momentum. I have a lot of expectations from myself because I know my importance in the team. One wants to do well every time, but things are not always in your favour,” the 32-year-old said.
🗣️🗣️ “I want to continue the momentum.” #TeamIndia Vice-captain @ImHarmanpreet on being amongst runs ahead of the #CWC22. 👍 pic.twitter.com/WAZokmD0ue
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) March 2, 2022
Banking on youngsters
After the New Zealand series captain, Mithali Raj has heaped praise on youngsters like Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh and said that the team will be banking on the teenage duo to compete at the highest level.
The flamboyant Shafali Verma is going through a lean run and was even dropped from the playing XI in the second warm-up game against West Indies. The 18-year-old has played only 11 ODIs, and vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur is confident that the youngster will find her form in the World Cup.
“She’s a very important player for us and she understands her role well. It happens, sometimes, as hard as you try it sometimes doesn’t translate in performance. This is when we have to give her some time to work on herself. We’re all talking to her – me, the other players, Dr. Mugdha Bavare (sports psychologist). She will come good at the right time. Right now it’s important to remind her of the good things she has done rather than what’s not going her way. I’m sure she’ll click at the right time , she’s someone who has done very well for us and will bounce back,” said Harmanpreet Kaur.
Meanwhile, Richa Ghosh is in red hot form. The wicket-keeper batter known for her six-hitting abilities has scored impressive half-centuries (65; 62) against New Zealand in the build-up to the tournament, including the fastest ever in ODIs by an Indian woman off just 26 balls.
🎤 Pace ace @JhulanG10 in conversation with swashbuckling batter S Meghana 🎤
On comeback, role models, drive to keep going for the team and the #CWC22 dream. 👍 👍
The #TeamIndia duo discuss it all 🎥 🔽 pic.twitter.com/sABm5fTuFt
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 28, 2022
Bowling a big concern
Jhulan Goswami, playing her fifth Women’s World Cup, will spearhead India’s attack, which lacks bite. The 39-year-old veteran is the leading wicket-taker in ODI history with 245 wickets and has shown no signs of slowing down. But the problem for the leader of India’s pace attack is the lack of support from the other end. The experience of Shikha Pandey has been overlooked for the World Cup.
The other three pacers, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Simran Dil Bahadur (Reserve) have combined experience of 22 ODIs.
In the recently-concluded ODI series against New Zealand, India’s bowling attack has failed to defend 270 and 279 in the second and third games and conceded 276 in the opening game and a mammoth 192 in 20 overs in the fourth game.
During the New Zealand series, Mithali has accepted that bowlers have not been consistent in their lines and lengths throughout the tour. “We are adapting to the conditions and to the open ground and the breeze. We have not been very consistent in our bowling spells,” she had said.
India will begin their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on March 6.
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