
The Indian women’s cricket team also had a difficult outing in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 where they failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament finishing only at the third place in Group A.
This time, India got through to the second round by a margin of 2 wins and 2 losses; but it was thrown out of the tournament in the second round, the fourth such knockout in nine IPLs.
However, with Kaur and co. leading the team, they could not perform up to the mark and were knocked out of the tournament after NZ booked their place in the semifinals.
India had been placed in a tough group along with the defending champions Australia and the two-time finalist New Zealand and the team lacked the temperament to perform big in important matches against these teams.
Disappointing Outings with the Bat
Batting was easily one of the most disappointing factors that led to India’s collapse.
The Indian batting side starts with the very experienced Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and young sensation Shafali Verma.
But this did not happen, the reputation of the newspaper grew worse.
The team then failed to give those big shots at the time when wickets were slipping off in their innings.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored a crucial fifty against Australia, committed a grave technical decision to give the strike to number 11 Shreyanka Patil when India required 13 more to win off the last over.
The chances that India lost the plot were visible during the matches against Australia and New Zealand where India could not post a competitive score or chase well.
Especially in the chase against Australia, Opener Shafali Verma endured a poor run while Smriti Mandhana, considered one of India’s stern batters, was similarly unimpressive.
The eclipse of vicious striking and careless chasing between the wickets were other lost causes for India.
During the tournament, it was also seen that India had a problem adapting to slower wickets in the UAE especially in Sharjah and Dubai.
Due mainly to the slow outfield, the batsmen had no pace to chase and the running between the wickets lacked intensity which Indian batsmen lacked.
Fitness Issues Regarding Batters
“Fitness gaps affected India’s ability to perform under pressure, adding strain on the batting lineup.”
One area that stood out in fitness, especially in Indian players, many dismissals could be blamed on poor running.
Both Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh were run out due to a lack of quick running and this suggests a deeper problem in terms of the physical fitness of the team for the tournament.
These slip-ups put additional expectations on the batting line and the team failed to continue the much-needed pressure against their opponents.
Lack of preparation and tactical instability
Criticism regarding India’s preparation for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was arrived at by both the professionals and the chaps.
This team was going to the tournament without a T20 series to play to hone their tactics and prepare for the games.
The lack of match practice could be seen in the shuffling of batting order in the series especially when Harmanpreet Kaur was joined at number three only in the first two matches while Jemimah Rodrigues joined her at number three for the remaining games.
This inconsistency in the batting line-up meant that the players could never get properly set and (the team) did not ever get going.
Former Indian captain and coach Ramesh Powar has claimed that Team India’s batting is weak, in comments supported by former women’s team captain Mithali Raj, who said that the team has not shown ‘growth’ over the years.
So far Mr Raj said that the team has not excelled as people expected though India has a power-packed squad.
She revealed that compared to other squads such as South Africa, India has essentially regressed stating that the team is struggling for growth when it comes to bettering their performance against the likes of Australia.
An Analysis of the Group Stage
Match | Result | Key Performers |
---|
vs New Zealand | Loss | Sophie Devine’s 151-run total |
vs Pakistan | Win | Dominant bowling performance |
vs Sri Lanka | Win | Comfortable 82-run margin |
vs Australia | Loss | Kaur’s 54 in a close chase |
India’s start to the series was a thumping 58-run loss to New Zealand. Sophie Devine claimed New Zealand a competitive total of 151 for 8 in 20 overs and then India could not chase it, managing 93 for 9.
India was able to bring back the morale with a six-wicket defeat of Pakistan followed by an 82-run capitulation of the Sri Lankan team thus making the audience optimistic that the Indian team has bottomed.
However, the last straw that buried India’s semi-final dreams was a loss at Sharjah, against Australia.
First, the Australian women’s cricketer team was at 151/8; Grace Harris batted for 40, Tahlia McGrath batted and scored 32 from 26 balls, while Ellyse Perry batted 32 from 23 balls.
They mustered 142/9 in their 20 overs and lost by nine runs, although Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur gave a splendid 54 off 47 balls.
This meant that in today’s match, India required New Zealand to defeat Pakistan for India to proceed into the semi-finals.
One’s hope for New Zealand’s loss was put to rest when the White Ferns throttled Pakistan and advanced to the semi-finals while knocking out India in the process.
Expert Opinions: Alarm bells for Women’s cricket in India
“India has potential but needs greater consistency in high-stakes matches.”
A few of the cricket pundits said that they are upset with the show put up by the Indian women’s cricket team in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Out of them, Raj was more harsh about the Indian team. She informs the team why it can not produce good results; following:
It will/can not produce good results due to factors like; lack of discipline; Lack of discipline includes an inability to do well under pressure Mass production can only be achieved when there are many workers, but it seems there are few people and yet they are overworked.
They were all silent but Raj said that over the last three years, the team has not been able to expand and some of these vice has to be settled before the next big match.
Anjum Chopra, a former cricketer also agreed with Raj saying that teams like Australia have it in their abilities to step up in pressure situations.
According to Chopra, that was India’s problem; they have enough skills to be competitive but they always choke when the going get tough.
Public Reactions: Fans Call for Overhaul
The response of the general public was one of indifferent annoyance blended with the two of disappointment.
Critics stormed the social media platforms criticizing the team management strategies and asking for the early exit to end.
There are always situations in football matches where the fans give their opinions to say that India was not prepared, and there were no solutions to the fitness problems that the Indian team faced.
Some people observed that the team heavily relies on its big players such as Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur among others remarked that young players should stand up for the cause.
The team lacked depth and this was brought out clearly when these major players underperformed.
Conclusion: A time for reflection and reconstruction
The next World Cup is not far away therefore, India has a chance to get it right next time around.
The team requires enhanced qualification, physical condition, and stable game strategy to become the superior tier.
And only this way, they can try to beat their shortcomings and become successful on the international level.
The group stage elimination has brought into focus an undesired need for a major revamp in preparation as well as execution.
As much as the talent, Women in Blue will have to sit and strategize better so that they can implement these strategies with better performances in the next tournaments.
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References:
NDTV.com
Sportstar.com
