Mithali Raj: We need our Top-5 batters to get runs

Mithali blamed both the batting as well as the bowling units for India’s below-par show in the first ODI against England on Sunday, which the visitors lost by eight wickets to go down 0-1 in the three-match series.

Captain Mithali Raj on Sunday said the time has come for Indian women’s team to think beyond long-serving and over-worked Jhulan Goswami by grooming young pace bowlers for the future.

Mithali blamed both the batting as well as the bowling units for India’s below-par show in the first ODI against England on Sunday, which the visitors lost by eight wickets to go down 0-1 in the three-match series.

Sent in to bat, India played 181 dot balls to post a modest 201-8, which England chased down with 91 balls to spare. “Yes, we need to look into that aspect and keep on rotating strike,” Mithali said about the dot balls during the post-match virtual press conference. 

“We need our Top-5 batters to get runs. We also need to understand that England seamers are very experienced. They know how to bowl in their conditions.”
She said her side’s seam bowlers were not up to the mark. “It puts pressure [on the opposition] if we can get early wickets. If we don’t get wickets from the seamers it puts pressure on the spinners. 

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“So we need to groom fast bowlers other than Jhulan. They should learn how to understand conditions and bowl well accordingly,” she added. Mithali made a patient 72 off 108 balls to help India go past the 200-run mark after the early dismissals of openers Shafali Verma (15) and Smriti Mandhana (10). But her knock was not enough as Indian batters failed to rotate the strike and find boundaries to accelerate the scoring rate.

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