India’s batting order experiments key for 2025 WC prep

Coach Amol Muzumdar’s decision to promote Richa Ghosh, seen often as a potent finisher, to number three in the second ODI puzzled many.

Richa Ghosh of India in action during the 2nd ODI match between India (Women) and Australia (Women) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Photo: | Photo Credit:  EMMANUAL YOGINI/ The Hindu

India might not have an opportunity to salvage the ODI series against Australia, with the visitor taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. However, the third game at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday gives the host a chance to experiment as it prepares for the 2025 ODI World Cup scheduled in India.

Coach Amol Muzumdar’s decision to promote Richa Ghosh, seen often as a potent finisher, to number three in the second ODI puzzled many. He chose to back her top-order credentials that have brought her success in the domestic circuit for Bengal with the Indian side as well.

This means Muzumdar views Jemimah Rodrigues, a middle-order mainstay, more in the number five slot. In the 26 ODIs she has played, Jemimah has played only three matches in that position and has 178 runs to her name. Her top two scores of 86 and 82 both came in this slot.

Muzumdar also dropped Shafali Verma and Saika Ishaque in this game.

Shafali’s ordinary run with the bat (She has scores of 1,4,0,8,1 in her last five ODIs) gave Yastika Bhatia a chance to keep her place in the top order.

“I thought Yastika played well in the first ODI, she got 49, and we thought we should continue with her. Shafali is a part of the team. We had a long chat and conveyed it to her in the best possible manner. We will be working with her over the next couple of days because the T20I series is coming up,” Muzumdar said.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led outfit will need to lock roles for its batting order with an eye on the lower middle order. Sending Deepti Sharma at number six did not work out, with the allrounder managing a strained 36-ball 24.

Pooja Vastrakar, who scored a brisk 46-ball 62 at a strike rate of 134.78 in the opening ODI, was sent in at number eight with the scoreboard pressure rising with each delivery. However, Muzumdar insisted that one could not place blame on one player.

“At the end of the day, we can say we missed out by three runs, but 600 balls were bowled in the game. I would not like to name anyone for the defeat. Probably one more shot or one more stop in the field could have done the trick,” he said.