India Faces Crucial Matches in Women's World Cup Amidst Finishing Struggles

India's Challenge Ahead of Women's World Cup Matches

As India prepares for its ICC Women's World Cup match against New Zealand, head coach Amol Mazumdar acknowledged the team's difficulties in closing out games. The squad has suffered three consecutive losses to South Africa, Australia, and England, and he expressed hope that they can achieve their first century of the tournament in the upcoming matches.

Must-Win Matches for India

With three defeats in a row, India's upcoming games against New Zealand and Bangladesh are critical. A failure to win could leave them reliant on other teams and their net run rate for a chance at the semifinals. Currently positioned fourth, India aims to avoid a clean sweep by the SENA teams (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).

Mazumdar Discusses Finishing Issues

India has lost matches from winning positions, including a game against South Africa where they had them at 142/6 while defending a total of 252. They also set a record total of 330 runs against Australia but faltered in a 289-run chase against England, losing by just four runs despite being in a strong position with wickets in hand. Mazumdar stated, "Finishing has been a problem. We recognize that we haven't been able to close out games. We've had thorough discussions about this, and I hope we can improve in the final matches."

Players Under No Pressure

India has seen six players score over fifty runs, with Richa Ghosh achieving the highest score of 94. However, the team has yet to secure a century. In the match against England, both Smriti Mandhana (88) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (70) missed out on centuries, which ultimately cost them the game. Mazumdar noted, "We are aware that we haven't scored a hundred in this World Cup, but in the past 18 months, we've had more centuries than before. The players understand that they could have converted fifties into hundreds, and I am optimistic that this will happen in the next games."

New Zealand's Rustiness a Concern

For New Zealand, the main issue is rustiness. After their last victory against Bangladesh on October 10, their subsequent matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan were rained out, leaving them without sufficient game time for nearly two weeks. With one win, two losses, and two washouts, their campaign is under threat. Captain Sophie Devine commented on the weather, saying, "I expect rain wherever we go right now. We can't control the weather, so we will focus on our game plan instead of worrying about it."

Expectations on Amelia Kerr

Devine is counting on the experience of Amelia Kerr, who has played under Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy in the Women's Premier League (WPL) with the Mumbai Indians. Devine expressed confidence in Kerr's ability to perform, stating, "Everyone expects Melie to contribute to the team. She has played alongside Harman and knows many of the Indian players well. The pressure is on the Indian team to perform and secure a semifinal spot, which adds to the excitement of the match."

Squads for the Upcoming Match

New Zealand Women Squad: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine(c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze(w), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing, Eden Carson, Lea Tahuhu, Hannah Rowe, Polly Inglis, Bella James
India Women Squad: 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, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Uma Chetry.