04 October,2024 09:13 AM IST | Dubai | Santosh Suri
India players celebrate a wicket during their warm-up match against South Africa at Dubai on Tuesday. Pic/Getty Images
India's challenge in the Group of Death begins in earnest when they take on New Zealand in a Group âA' match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup here today. Their performance in the game will largely determine how their campaign pans out in the tournament which they have not won in eight attempts. The positive thing about India is that they have won both their warm-up ties comfortably. The team thus seem in good form and the players are raring to go. Many experts feel this could be India's moment, following in the footsteps of the men's team that clinched the T20 World Cup a few months ago. They have entered this tournament ranked third in the world and reached at least the semi-finals of the last three T20 World Cups. All this augurs well for them as they attempt to overcome that final hurdle.
Experienced captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has played in all the earlier eight editions beginning in 2009, realises that excessive focus and attention on the team could put her players under pressure. "The weight of expectation has affected the best of teams. We carry the hopes of millions of cricket fans back home. In such a situation we plan to shut out the external factors and concentrate on the action in the middle. Our plan is to enjoy what we do and results will follow," the skipper said.
"The people [support staff led by head coach Amol Muzumdar] around me, they are helping me, they are working hard to make our team go at that level where we want to be. I am happy with where our team is, like how our team is working hard to achieve small, small things [goals]. If we achieve these goals, success will surely follow," Harmanpreet added.
Though the Indian women's team have never played in the UAE, they have enough experience playing in other Asian countries. Besides, the conditions are akin to what they are used to back home. Be it the type of pitches or the weather. It's still quite hot in the day, and it would be a challenge for any team to play the afternoon game which begins at 2 pm (3:30 pm IST). Luckily, India have just one afternoon match against Pakistan on Sunday. The other three, including today's tie against the Kiwis, start at 6 pm local time (7:30 pm IST), when the weather is better. Considering that Indian players are more used to heat and slower pitches, that should give them a head start against both New Zealand and Australia in the group phase.
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"This will be our first time in the UAE and there is excitement in the camp; a lot to look forward to. I am pretty sure the crowd will turn out in huge numbers as we play across Dubai and Sharjah," the skipper wrote in a column on the ICC website. "There is a solid amount of experience in this group, which has been playing a lot of competitive cricket across the globe. While some of our team members are still in their early 20s, they have played a lot of cricket, have been through challenging situations and have come out triumphant," she added.
India by and large have a well-settled squad, with an explosive opening pair in Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. On their day they can tear any bowling attack apart. There is enough batting power that follows, which includes the captain herself with a load of experience and the in-form Jemimah Rodriques. The bowling attack is well-rounded with two seamers in Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Thakur. The experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma will get adequate support from Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil. There are some handy players who can chip in with an over or two and also contribute with the bat. On paper, the team looks good but now is the time for them to come good on the field.
As for New Zealand, they are also seeking T20 glory, as they have been runners-up in the first two editions but never emerged champions. Led by the veteran Sophie Devine, the White Ferns can never be underestimated as they are good enough to surprise any team on their day. The Kiwi skipper for once will be hoping that it will be their day against the Indian team in Dubai today.
