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Preview: Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s return from injury will see a huge presence as India challenge the multi-faceted Australian women’s team in the three-match T20I series starting here on Thursday. The 32-year-old veteran campaigner missed the ODI leg and the day-night Test against the hosts due to a thumb injury.
But she is now back in the team to add firepower to a batting line-up that includes a flamboyant opener in young Shafali Verma, complementing Smriti Mandhana’s flamboyance at the top of the order. Mandhana will be full of confidence in the last leg of the Australian tour, having scored a stunning maiden Test century in less than a week. Despite the huge gap between the two formats, the senior opener will certainly try to maintain the momentum.
While Harmanpreet is a welcome addition, the highly promising Shafali will be all eyes considering her penchant for batting aggressively, aided by her stroke repertoire on both sides of the wicket. During the tour, the visitors have shown that they can adapt to different formats within a short span of time, something that helped them dominate the pink-ball Test, ending Australia’s three-year series with a world-record 26. immediately after doing it. wins.
Injuries (groin and thumb here before the series against South Africa) may have set her back in recent times, but the upcoming three matches will see Harmanpreet regaining her touch in the shorter formats ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup. Will give you the right opportunity. Harmanpreet is, without a doubt, one of the biggest match-winners in the shorter formats of the game and she will envision her chances in the days to come.
While the Australian bowling attack trains its guns on the likes of Shafali, Mandhana and Harmanpreet, it will be another platform for young Jemima Rodrigues to regain her form. Jemimah hasn’t had a good time with the national team, but she will gain confidence with her impressive performance in ‘The Hundred’.
Bouncy Australian pitches will facilitate Jemima’s free-flowing play, something her captain will also want to use, as she is also a natural stroke-maker. A plethora of all-rounders make Australia a formidable outfit in the shorter formats but this Indian team has the potential to thwart the hosts.
For inspiration, Indians can look to their 180-run chase against them in a T20I before the World Cup last year, and also Harmanpreet’s attack on their bowlers in the 2017 World Cup.
As has been the case in T20s for some time now, veteran seamer Jhulan Goswami will not be there but India are expected to serve well from Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Shikha Pandey.
In the batting, the visiting wicketkeepers Richa Ghosh and Yastka Bhatia can also be seen for runs in the middle order.
As has been the trend in recent times, Australia will rely on their all-rounders to give them the edge.
Captain Meg Lanning is confident that some of her multi-skilled young stars can make an impact with the bat.
Australia are set to make their T20 debut with in-form all-rounder Tahlia McGrath, who has been doing well in the pink ball game.
On the back of her recent form with the ball, Annabel Sutherland is also making a case for selection, while Nicola Carey’s good track record will ensure she stays in the scheme of things.
Teams (from):
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh.
Australia: Meg Lanning (capt), Darcy Brown, Matlen Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashley Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molyneux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tyla Vlaminck, Georgia Wareham.
The match will start at 2.10 pm IST.
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