NEW DELHI: India’s defeat to New Zealand in the Women’s T20 World Cup, followed by an ultra-defensive batting approach in their chase of 106 runs against Pakistan, has dealt a significant blow to their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
India managed to chase down the modest target against Pakistan on Sunday with some struggle, losing four wickets but with only seven balls remaining.
Currently fourth in the group standings with one win and one defeat in two matches and a poor net run rate of -1.217, India face a critical path ahead.
Former India fielding coach Biju George expressed disappointment with India’s approach during the crucial clash against Pakistan.
“India should have come out all guns blazing,” George said in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com.
India’s bowlers, led by Arundhati Reddy (3/19) and Shreyanka Patil (2/12), restricted Pakistan to 105/8 in 20 overs. However, the Indian batters failed to accelerate and took 18.5 overs to reach the target.
“India bowled well, and their fielding was decent, though there were some fumbles and missed catches. But it was the batting that disappointed. With only 106 to chase, it was a great opportunity to boost the net run rate. India should have chased the target within 14 overs, which would have helped them tremendously,” George said.
They will next take on Sri Lanka and then the formidable three-time defending champions Australia. To stay in contention for the semi-finals, India must defeat Sri Lanka by a substantial margin and edge Australia.
George is concerned that India’s negative net run rate will hinder their chances of advancing to the semi-finals. While he believes India can beat Sri Lanka, the match against Australia, on a tricky Sharjah pitch, will be much tougher.
“Yes, India won against Pakistan, but the performance must have hurt them. They now face a huge task. If they don’t secure a big win against Sri Lanka, the match against Australia might turn into a virtual knockout,” George added.
“Playing Australia in Sharjah won’t be easy, especially defending totals on that ground. India will need to go hard against Sri Lanka and then find a way to beat Australia. That’s the only path to the semifinals now,” he said.
When asked whether India were underprepared for the tournament, George disagreed.
“I wouldn’t say they were underprepared. They had a long camp before the tournament and entered as one of the title contenders. However, several players are carrying injuries,” he said.
“Pooja Vastrakar is injured, and based on Yastika Bhatia’s movement on the field, I believe she’s carrying an injury as well. Fitness is a major concern. In a big tournament like this, you can’t afford to have players with injuries or niggles. They need to be fully fit,” he noted.
However, George concluded with a message to the Indian team and fans: “Believe. We can still do it.”