The Girls’s World Cup has begun, not with a whimper. If West Indies received an edge-of-the seat tie towards New Zealand to begin the competitors, England ran Australia shut on Saturday making South Africa’s snug win towards Bangladesh an outlier. What higher manner so as to add to the bang than India taking up Pakistan in what’s a event opener for each, at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
India have by no means misplaced to their neighbours within the 50-over World Cup however go into this version after a poor ODI sequence towards New Zealand. Bowlers struggled in that 1-4 loss and batters discovered kind late. Skipper Mithali Raj, in her sixth World Cup, was essentially the most constant batter with Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma coming good in spurts. They are going to be examined by a formidable Pakistan bowling assault led by medium-pacer Diana Baig, one which might additionally rely on the expertise of off-spinner Nida Dar.
Fragility within the bowling might damage India. The spinners have struggled and whereas Jhulan Goswami, in her fifth World Cup, is somebody you may rely on, the opposite quicks Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh Thakur haven’t tailored properly to New Zealand. Goswami, 39 like Raj, is 5 in need of 250 ODI wickets.
“We’re not it’s Pakistan we’re taking part in towards, we’re a staff which has come ready and we’re equally ready to place our greatest foot ahead. We wish to get the momentum going into the event,” stated Raj on Saturday.
Kaur, the 2017 World Cup star and India’s T20I captain, has been struggling for kind over the previous three years however hit a match-winning hundred towards South Africa in a warm-up recreation after a formidable half-century within the last ODI towards New Zealand.
“It will be important that Harmanpreet scores as she is without doubt one of the core members of the facet. Additionally, she tends to play with the tail as properly. With the sport that she has, it is rather necessary that she comes into kind,” stated Raj.
Pakistan and India will meet in an ODI for the primary time for the reason that 2017 World Cup however for Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof, the sport will mark her return to worldwide cricket after two years. Maroof, 30, was on maternity go away since December 2020 and had a lady final August. She is accompanied by a assist individual, as a part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) new parental coverage.
That Pakistan beat New Zealand within the warm-up recreation offers them confidence going into the match. “Whoever takes the strain properly and performs to their power, that staff will win,” stated Maroof.
Pakistan have a settled bowling line-up and if the batters can complement them, they might make historical past. “We hope that on this World Cup as a batting unit, we will put up a superb present. We now have improved as a quick bowling unit, particularly Diana Baig and Fatima Sana,” she stated. Not having received a match of their final two 50-0ver World Cups, Pakistan’s goal, Maroof stated, is to make the semi-finals. “We now have by no means made it to the knockouts of any World Cup throughout the 2 codecs, however that doesn’t imply that point won’t ever come.”
