Women’s World Cup: Fallible India desperate for New Zealand scalp in virtual quarterfinal

MUMBAI: A fallible India will look to be in control of its fate and seal the last semifinal berth in what would effectively be a virtual quarterfinal against a sprightly New Zealand, in the Women’s World Cup here on Thursday.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s side would become the fourth team to book the semifinal berth if they get the better of the White Ferns here on the familiar mat of the DY Patil Stadium.

But any more errors like in each of its previous three outings will leave India dependent on other scenarios.

If India loses to New Zealand, it will need England to beat the White Ferns and then must also win their final group league match against Bangladesh to make the cut.

With three defeats in a row against each of this World Cup’s semifinalists -- Australia, South Africa and England -- India has repeatedly cracked under pressure, often after being in complete control.

While both Australia and South Africa exposed India’s bowling skills and depth with spirited chases, the biggest shocker came in Indore, which captain Harmanpreet described as a “heartbreak” when her side failed to make 56 from 54 balls with seven wickets intact on a belter of a track.

India’s problems go beyond playing combinations with the sixth bowling option in mind, as the camp grapples to handle the pressure of a home World Cup.

The margins of those defeats notwithstanding, India’s fallibility under pressure and lack of specific skillsets remain the biggest concern for skipper Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar, who had overseen a near-perfect buildup to this mega event.

So far, none of India’s top batters have lasted long enough to finish games, and none of the bowlers have stepped up consistently, leaving the team heavily reliant on Richa Ghosh for big hits.

In such a scenario, the leadership duo of Harmanpreet and in-form Smriti Mandhana, who have been Indian batting mainstays, will need to take responsibility as the team enters the ‘now-or-never' zone.

India left out Jemimah Rodrigues to accommodate the sixth bowler and brought in Renuka Thakur, an exponent of swing bowling, but pressure will firmly be on No 3 Harleen Deol who has not been able to convert her starts.

India’s training session two days before this clash was washed out for unseasonal rain here on Tuesday, leaving only Wednesday’s final practice session to assess the conditions and recall their knowledge of this venue.

The pitch here has traditionally been a batter-friendly wicket but teams batting first would be mindful of the dew factor in the second innings, which challenges the skills of even the best white-ball bowling attacks across international cricket.