India Aims for Improvement Against Netherlands in T20 World Cup

Deepti Sharma’s five-wicket masterclass ensured India began their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign on the right note, but Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will know there is still room for improvement when they take on Netherlands, who are T20 World Cup debutants, in their second group fixture in Headingley on Wednesday.

India’s objective will extend beyond collecting another two points. This is a chance to tighten a few loose ends, give the batting group more time in the middle and build momentum before the sterner challenges that await later in the league stage.

The Pakistan game eventually turned into a comfortable 64-run win but for parts of the contest, India were made to work harder than the final margin suggested. Pakistan reached 52/1 in the Powerplay while chasing 171, a phase that underlined India’s need for early control with the ball. Against stronger sides, such starts could prove more expensive.

The batting unit, too, has unfinished business. Smriti Mandhana produced a composed 68 at the top while Richa Ghosh once again showcased her ability to shift gears in the latter stages with a brisk cameo. Harmanpreet contributed 36 but India will still want more from the lineup as a whole. Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and the middle order will be eager to spend valuable time in the middle and get into rhythm as the tournament gathers pace.

If the batting and fielding left scope for improvement, the spin department offered plenty of encouragement. Deepti turned the Pakistan game decisively in India’s favour with career-best figures of 5/10, while young left-arm spinner Shree Charani continued her impressive start to international cricket with three wickets. Together, they gave India the control and wicket-taking threat that could remain central to their campaign.

The pace attack, meanwhile, is still searching for early penetration. Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Gaud were unable to make decisive inroads with the new ball against Pakistan and will be keen to make a stronger impact against a less experienced Dutch batting lineup.

A second straight win will be expected. What India will be looking for, though, is a performance that leaves fewer questions unanswered.