“Looking forward to seeing her get back into her zone," Harmanpreet Kaur backs Shafali Verma

As the cricketing world prepares for the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, the Indian women’s cricket team is gearing up for a high-stakes three-match ODI series against Australia. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized the significance of this series, calling it a vital step in India’s journey towards World Cup glory.

Playing on Australian soil is always a challenge, but for Kaur, it’s also an opportunity to grow. “It’s always a great feeling playing in Australia. We all love playing cricket here. We had two days of training and tried to get ourselves fit as soon as possible. Feeling good, everyone is looking in good shape,” Kaur shared enthusiastically.

The ODI format holds a special place in the Indian team’s strategy, especially with the World Cup set to be hosted in India next year. For Kaur, the series against Australia is about more than just individual matches; it’s a platform to test the team’s mettle against one of the most formidable sides in women’s cricket.

“ODI is a format where we all enjoy more than other formats. It’s always something you’re looking forward to. Especially, the upcoming World Cup is in India, and Australia are somebody who play really good cricket wherever they go. It’s a great platform to go and play well against them,” Kaur explained.

India, currently sitting third in the ICC Women’s Championship, has already secured a World Cup berth as hosts. However, the captain stressed that winning this series remains a top priority. “It’s a very important series for us. We’re all looking forward to winning this series. Whenever we play, we always look to win, and this is the same for us. We just want to go out there and enjoy the cricket.”

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India’s squad sees the return of several promising players, including Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Titas Sadhu, and Minnu Mani. Uma Chetry has also been drafted in as a replacement for wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, who is recovering from a wrist injury, which she sustained during the recently concluded Women’s Big Bash League.

Shafali Verma has been dropped from the squad after a string of poor outings, but the team is also counting on the opener to find her form ahead of the World Cup. “She (Shafali) is a very important player for us and has done exceptionally well for the country. We are looking forward to seeing her get back into her zone and perform well for the team,” Kaur said, expressing optimism.

However, history is not in India’s favor. The team has won only four of the 16 ODIs played in Australia. A tough task lies ahead as they adapt to conditions that favor Australia’s depth and consistency. Reflecting on the challenge, Kaur said, “We performed really well against New Zealand in home conditions. Here, the conditions are different, and we are working hard to adapt quickly.”

With the World Cup approaching, Kaur stressed the importance of using the series to finalize the squad and experiment with combinations. “All the games are important for us, and we just want to go out there and try our combinations and see whoever is doing well and give them more opportunities. At the same time, upcoming players who are doing really well, we want to give them a chance,” she added.

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Facing Australia on their turf presents an entirely different challenge. The last bilateral series between the two teams in September 2021 ended in a narrow 1-2 defeat for India, with the team putting up a spirited fight in the final game.

Australia v India ODI Series Squads:

Australia women’s cricket team:

Tahlia McGrath (C), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Georgia Voll

India women’s cricket team:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Uma Chetry (WK), Richa Ghosh (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Saima Thakor