Women’s World Cup: India eyes lift-up in top-order batting against Australia

VISKHAPATNAM: A rattled India need to be tactically flexible and think about adding a sixth bowling option against reigning champion Australia to steady its wavering Women’s World Cup campaign here on Sunday.

The three-wicket defeat against South Africa on Thursday exposed the limitations of sticking to the five-bowler template in all conditions.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur turned to her part-time off-spin in the absence of a sixth bowler, but once the Proteas targeted the pacers past the 40th over, the home side ran out of ideas.

Kranti Gaud and Amanjot Kaur conceded 30 runs in 12 balls across the 47th and 49th overs as South Africa overhauled a 252-run target.

The current Indian bowling line-up contains two right-arm pacers (Gaud, Kaur), two off-spinners (Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana) and a left-arm spinner (Sree Charani).

If the pitch at the ACA-VDCA stadium pitch holds true, the strong Aussies batting unit can put this rather unidimensional attack through the wringer with ease.

India will require a proper sixth bowler to summon if a crisis reoccurs, and Harmanpreet’s part-time spin is nothing more than cannon fodder against a team like Australia, which has accomplished hitters like Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry etc.

But selection of the sixth bowler is not a straightforward choice either.

The host might prefer to add an extra spinner, if it indeed decides so, because Nadine de Klerk said South Africa had targeted Indian pacers as spinners were able to get some purchase off the deck in the last match here.

They have a left-arm spinner in seasoned Radha Yadav, who is also a reasonable lower-order batter.

One possibility is to bring her in place of Rana, but Australia has two left-handers in its line-up in Beth Mooney, who made a hundred against Pakistan in the previous match, and opener Phoebe Litchfield.

So, India might just like to keep the off-spinners with them as they can take the ball away from left-handers. India can bring in pacer Arundhati Reddy, possibly for Amanjot, but that again will rob it of some late-order batting solidity which has helped them more than once in this event.

India can also ponder over replacing Harleen Deol with Yadav but that will result in the erosion of considerable strength from an already malfunctioning top-order.

Indian top-order batters’ struggles have become a recurring theme in this ODI showpiece. They were perilously close to a total shutdown against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before late order batters did the firefighting.

It turned into a reality against South Africa, and Australia, who have a varied and skillful attack, will punish such lapses quite mercilessly.