After this, in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2018, England again became an obstacle in front of them. The Indian team had also lost the final of the last T20 World Cup in Melbourne and the gold medal match of the Commonwealth Games last year. On both these occasions he was defeated by Australia. The Indian team had an inconsistent performance in the league stage of the T20 World Cup 2023 but were in a winning position in the semi-finals. Despite poor fielding and bowling, India were in a winning position with the batting of Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues.
bad fielding split base
In such a situation, the question arises that why the Indian team does not get positive results in such pressure matches? Is it an issue with team selection or fitness that has led to the abysmal fielding. Either target the strategy of the team or the reason is something else. India’s fielding in the semi-finals was very poor, in such a situation, coach Shubhadeep Ghosh (fielding coach) will have to answer many questions. Due to disappointing fielding, Australia managed to score 25 to 30 runs more.
While Shefali Verma dropped a simple catch, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh missed an easy chance to stump out Meg Lanning. Former India captain Diana Edulji said that the India U-19 team that won the World Cup looked more fit and agile on the field. I bet most of our senior cricketers will not be able to clear the yo yo test (which is mandatory for the men’s team). Due to poor fitness, we cannot expect a good fielder.
Batting with poor strike rate throughout the World Cup
Let us tell you that the strike rate of Indian batsmen has also been very disappointing in the whole World Cup. Shafali, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia and skipper Harmanpreet had a strike rate of less than 110 in the tournament. In modern cricket, a strike rate of less than 130 is not considered good. Star batsman Smriti Mandhana scored runs at a strike rate of 138.5 but she was not consistent in scoring runs. Shafali has been in poor form for a long time and the bowlers are taking advantage of her weakness on short pitched deliveries. In such a situation, opener batsman S Meghna should be given a chance.
Spinners also disappointed with their performance
It was not that long ago when spinners were considered India’s strong point but they too have disappointed in this World Cup. Rajeshwari Gaikwad could not take a single wicket in the tournament while Deepti and Radha Yadav also failed to perform well against England and Australia.
Apart from Renuka, no one else came in handy in fast bowling.
In the fast bowling unit, Renuka Singh did well but Shikha Pandey, making a comeback, could not impress. The lack of options in this unit is a matter of concern for the team. Left-arm fast bowler Anjali Sarwani was not given a chance in a single match in the World Cup. The same happened with Meghna Singh. However, one can only hope that the Women’s Premier League, which begins on March 4, will see some fresh talent emerge in the pace unit. The Indian team not having a permanent coaching staff also raises a big question in itself. The Indian Cricket Board will have to avoid the practice of associating National Cricket Academy coaches with the women’s team. On the other hand, the next World Cup is to be held after 18 months and if India wants to bring that World Cup home, then its preparation will have to start from now itself.