IND W vs ENG W, 1st ODI Live Score: Teenage sensation Shafali Verma is set to make her much-awaited ODI debut as the Indian women’s team looks to improve the white-ball course against a strong world champion English side in the first game of the three-match series here on Sunday.
The 17-year-old batting sensation, who has taken world cricket by storm, has played 22 T20 Internationals so far but was inexplicably not picked for the last home series against South Africa women, with India seeing disastrous results .
India lost 1-4 against South Africa and there was much debate about Shafali’s exclusion from that series.
However, on Sunday, such an act is not expected to be committed by the Indian team management, which now understands more about Shafali’s real value after her scintillating Test debut against England last week with scores of 96 and 63.
His big hitting will certainly be very important for the Indian team, which is lacking in players, except vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who herself is not in the best of form.
With defensive players like Poonam Raut, skipper Mithali at the top of the order, Shafali could be the difference between a sub-par of 200 and a winning score of 235 to 240 in her day.
The way Shafali knocked down the likes of Anya Shrubsole, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Nat Sciver and Sophie Ecclestone on her Test debut, the home team’s coaching staff is surely in the midnight oil to stop the new ‘Haryana Storm’ Will be burning
It will be interesting to see India’s team structure which came under a lot of questions during the series against Proteas.
Priya Punia had a mediocre series against South Africa at home and India have the option of rookie keeper-batsman Indrani Roy, who was picked in the team behind a great 50-over domestic tournament.
If Smriti Mandhana and Shafali open with the bat, Indrani may have to wait for her chance, as Raut would prefer to move to No. 3 after good performances and improved strike rate, followed by her captain and deputy Kaur at No. 5 are on. .
All-rounder Deepti Sharma is a sure shot at No. 6 and the choice between Tania Bhatia and Indrani could mean that the former will be a bit favorite after their second innings performance.
Among the four bowlers, the economical Jhulan Goswami is an automatic choice and it will be Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar and Arundhati Reddy in the two.
The Indian team had seen how Ecclestone, with his conservative wicket-to-wicket left-arm spin bowling, troubled Indians during Tests alone and therefore Ekta Bisht or Radha Yadav with similar skill sets may be given preference.
If India decides to go with the third spinner, Sneh Rana with his batting abilities and impressive off-breaks will be pitted against lesser leg-spinner Poonam Yadav.
But Yadav’s disastrous performance against South Africa (0 wickets in five matches) makes Rana the favourite.
For England, Sophia Dunkley, after her impressive Test debut last week, is set to receive her maiden women’s ODI cap but the batting will depend mostly on experienced Tammy Beaumont, captain Heather Knight and all-rounder Siver.
Teams (from):
India: Mithali Raj (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, HarmanpreeKaur (vc), Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Arundhati Reddy, Puja Vastrakar, Ekta Bisht , Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Priya Punia, Indrani Roy (wk).
England: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross, Nate Sciver, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Anya Shrubsole, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Davis, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Maddy Villiers , Fran Wilson, Sarah Glenn, Emily Arlott, Tash Farrant.
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