Manchester: With concerns over middle-order inconsistency and fielding lapses threatening to undermine their campaign, India will look for a more complete performance when they face Bangladesh in a crucial Group A match of the Women’s T20 World Cup on Thursday.
India’s opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma has eased pre-tournament worries at the top.
Mandhana has amassed 159 runs in three matches, while Shafali has contributed 92, with both scoring at strike rates above 154 and regularly providing explosive starts.
However, the middle order has struggled to capitalise on those foundations. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia have failed to maintain the momentum, placing additional pressure on finishers Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma,
who have impressed despite limited opportunities at the crease.
India remain second in Group A with four points and a healthy net run rate of 2.511 following emphatic wins over Pakistan and the Netherlands. But their six-wicket defeat to South Africa exposed familiar shortcomings, including dropped catches and an inability to close out key moments.
Bangladesh, buoyed by wins over Pakistan and defending champions New Zealand, will enter the contest with
confidence. India, meanwhile, will be keen to tighten their game ahead of a tougher challenge against Australia. MATCH STARTS@7 PM
