Mithali Raj remains best batter in Indian team, Jhulan Goswami shows age is just a number: Shantha

Shantha,
also
a
member
of
BCCI’s
Apex
Council,
lauded
India’s
performance
in
the
ODI
series
in
Australia
where
they
lost
1-2
but
fought
hard
against
a
champion
time.
With
the
win
in
the
third
ODI,
India
also
snapped
Australia’s
record
26-match
winning
streak.

“She
is
the
best
ever
batter
for
India
and
she
is
still
the
best.
She
knows
how
to
change
gears
very
well
and
the
strike
rate
doesn’t
matter
if
wickets
are
falling
at
the
other
end.
She
played
well
in
the
UK
and
in
this
series
too,”
Shantha
told
PTI.
“Even
Jhulan
was
brilliant
against
Australia.
Goes
to
show
age
is
just
a
number
with
these
two
still
playing
well
(at
38
years
of
age).”

Mithali
scored
a
fifth
consecutive
half-century
in
the
series
opener
but
India
went
on
to
lose
the
game.
On
the
team’s
performance
in
ODIs,
Shantha
said:
“It
was
remarkable
as
they
fought
hard
against
the
best
team
in
the
world.
India
should
have
won
the
second
ODI
too
but
it
was
a
good
game
nonetheless.”

For
Shantha,
fielding
needs
a
lot
of
improvement
and
players
need
to
be
more
consistent.
She
also
questioned
T20
skipper
Harmanpreet
Kaur’s
fitness
as
thumb
injury
ruled
out
her
of
the
series.

“She
had
come
from
the
hundred
injured,
before
that
she
got
injured
during
the
South
Africa
series
at
home.
If
she
is
prone
to
injuries,
then
she
should
avoid
playing
overseas
leagues
and
prioritise
playing
for
India.
She
is
an
impact
player
and
the
team
needs
her,”
said
Shantha.

“The
BCCI
can
step
in
and
stop
players
from
playing
in
leagues
ahead
of
important
tours
like
Australia,”
she
said.
The
former
India
captain
also
expects
more
consistency
from
openers
Shafali
Verma
and
Smriti
Mandhana.
She
also
feels
Richa
Ghosh
needs
to
work
a
lot
of
her
wicket-keeping
though
she
has
come
up
nicely
as
a
batter
in
the
ODIs.

“Yastika
Bhatia
impressed
in
her
debut
series
and
should
be
persisted
with.
Shafali
needs
to
find
other
ways
to
score,
the
bowlers
will
not
pitch
it
up
to
her
often
now.
The
bowlers
now
know
what
to
bowl
to
her,”
she
said.
Sneh
Rana
has
come
up
nicely
as
an
all-rounder
which
puts
pressure
on
Deepti
Sharma.

“Deepti
is
a
better
option
in
Tests
as
she
has
a
more
compact
game.
Sneh
has
done
really
well
since
her
comeback
and
could
be
the
leading
spin
all-rounder
in
ODIs,”
Shantha
added.