‘Score 200-plus and put Aussies under pressure’ Punam Raut

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Former India women’s team batter Punam Raut reckons that if Harmanpreet Kaur & Co bat first and put up a good total in their crucial ICC Women’s T20 World Cup game against Australia at Lord’s on Sunday, it will put the six-time champions under pressure.

Raut was part of the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia, where India batted first and posted 281-4 and ended up winning by 36 runs, thanks mainly to Harmanpreet Kaur’s scintillating 115-ball 171 not out.

Punam Raut

“Australia is a very strong team. We have a 50 per cent chance and will have to play extremely well to beat them. If we bat first, we should score 200 at least. We need to put up an extraordinary performance with the bat because, looking at our bowling, we are conceding runs too easily, the only exception being [left-arm spinner] N Shree Charini [has claimed 12 wickets in four games at an economy rate of 5.31],” Raut told mid-day on Friday.

While the Aussies remain unbeaten in this competition so far, India lost to South Africa earlier, making this a must-win match for the Women in Blue. Raut insists Harmanpreet is due for a big knock. “For almost four or five games now Harman hasn’t got a performance with the bat yet [she has scored 85 in her last four matches]. Everyone has been expecting her to click with the bat, and now, with just one [league] game left, she will have to play an important knock. I think she will perform. She’s a big-match player. I have seen her play against big teams. She might just come out stronger against Australia,” said Raut, who scored 86 before India went on to lose the 2017 ODI World Cup final to England at Lord’s.

Fielding has been a concern for Team India, and Raut, 36, who has played four Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is, felt that playing with a free mind can help. “Rather than taking too much pressure of winning the World Cup, we should play with a free mind, like we have nothing to lose. Maybe then our girls will perform better. Our girls have already done well by winning the ODI World Cup last November. They know how to play World Cup games,” Raut signed off.

We want to play aggressively  vs Oz: Mandhana

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Saturday said India will play an “aggressive brand of cricket” against Australia in the must-win Women’s T20 World Cup match here.

India need to beat six-time champions Aussies on Sunday to progress to the semi-finals of the showpiece after getting entangled themselves in a two-way tie with South Africa.

“It’s a big game obviously. We’ve all spoken a lot about how we really want to be playing the aggressive brand of cricket and that’s something which we’ll all look to do tomorrow,” said Mandhana in the pre-match press conference.

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