Popularly known as the white ferns, this team has a long and memorable history to its name. They’ve not only been the third country to be playing a test match but also are among the three countries that have featured in all the editions of the Women’s World Cup.
The visitors when compared to their hosts are a team that has evolved off late.
Where both the teams are concerned, each one has got its share of experience and learnings and with it, it is India which has proved to be on a roll, ranking 3rd – a position ahead of their opponent, in the ICC Team Ranking.
With India tour of New Zealand starting from 24th January 2019, let’s take a ride to see what the teams have shared earlier!
Where New Zealand women started to pursue their dream in 1935, women of India did so in 1976!
Both the teams with time not only became stronger but also gained enormous amount of experience, stood up against all odds and never let the strive to learn lessen which has made them come upto where we see them in present day.
Coming to late 2000s, India played New Zealand at home in 2015! The New Zealand tour of India resulted in India’s series win where the hosts won 3-2. The blue team started off on a note that every team would ideally wish to see, however losing track in the following two games, they bounced back in the last two. The Mithali Raj led team won their first game by 17 runs with Jhulan Goswami taking her team to a rather defendable total of 142 runs scoring 57 off 67 balls. Her team did well in bowling out the opponents for a mere 125 runs with two crucial run outs and impressive bowling on the whole. The other two games were won by New Zealand by 3 and 6 wickets respectively! India bounced back winning the fourth match by 8 wickets, levelling the series and coming into to win the decider and final fifth match by 9 wickets with 136 balls to spare.
The three match T20 didn’t go India’s way and the visitors lifted the trophy winning two out of the three games that they played.
The teams of India and New Zealand have had a very fascinating relation between them. There have been so many occasions where they’ve been part of the same tournament yet haven’t come in a face off!
They fought against one another next during the World Cup in 2017. The ferns lost by a massive 186 runs, being bowled out for 79 runs. Leading from the front was captain Mithali Raj scoring a century against her opponent and especially impressing in the bowling department was Rajeshwari Gayakwad who managed to bag a fifer allowing only three people to get into even double digit numbers in the opposite team!
The two teams haven’t played each other quite regularly and thus this tours unpredictability is what stands out. A mixture of experience and rising stars, both the teams have a combination that can do wonders. Keeping the current form and earlier records in mind, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur along with the likes of Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Jemmimah Rodrigues, it would be interesting of what India as a team pans out of the capable and powerful set of players. Led by Suzie Bates who had been at the peak of her career off late, leading her team into the tour with the likes of Amy Satterthwaite and Sophie Devine – it is going to be a tour that represents character, intent and passion. With the hosts starting off with the home advantage who isn’t excited for the Mithali Raj Vs Suzie Bates encounter?
To new records, revival of the memories and most importantly giving their all along with utmost enjoyment, there’s no doubt in the fact that the battle sure isn’t easy!