NZ-Ind women’s ODIs | India looks to sort out combination issues

With extended quarantine set to keep star batter Smriti Mandhana out, the Indian women’s cricket team will look to sort out some combination issues when the five-match ODI series against New Zealand begins here on Saturday.

The tour started with a reversal when the visitors lost the one-off T20I and skipper Mithali Raj will be keen to provide the team a winning start in its ODI campaign.

Player availability

Availability of players has been an issue for the Indians with Smriti and pacers Renuka Singh and Meghana Singh missing the first game due to an extended Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).

Their absence will be an opportunity to test other players as the team looks to slot their core players ahead of the ICC World Cup next month.

Yastika Bhatia, who scored 26 opening the innings with Shafali Verma in the T20I, is likely to retain her position, while India will need to sort out the middle-order, which revolves around Mithali.

Focus will also be on Harmanpreet Kaur, who could only score 12 in the T20I despite coming off a successful women’s Big Bash campaign where she was Player-of-the-Tournament.

Veteran Jhulan Goswami will share the new ball with Pooja Vastrakar. Simran Bahadur will look for a better show after being hit for 26 in two overs on Wednesday.

Poor record

New Zealand will aim to carry the momentum, however, the host has a poor record, having won just two of the last 20 ODIs.

The host’s batting looks good with openers Suzie Bates and skipper Sophie Devine and Maddy Green and Lea Tahuhu in the middle-order looking good.

Pacers Jess Kerr and Hayley Jensen and spinner Amelia Kerr snared two wickets each on Thursday.

New Zealand also has the option of going to young left-arm spinner Fran Jonas and off-spinner Frankie Mackay.

The teams:

India: Mithali Raj (Capt.), Harmanpreet Kaur (Vice-Capt.), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav and Simran Dil Bahadur.

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (Capt.), Amy Satterthwaite (Vice-Capt.), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe and Lea Tahuhu.