Diana Edulji: Play lesser dot balls and put a price tag on your wicket

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Though the Indian women’s team created history by winning their maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup last November, it seems Harmanpreet Kaur & Co will have to double their effort to win the Women’s T20 World Cup, beginning in England on June 12. India, who will be facing Pakistan in their opening game at Birmingham on June 14, lost a three-match T20I series 1-2 to hosts England on Tuesday.

India are placed in Group 1 along with Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Netherlands and former India captain Diana Edulji insisted that Harmanpreet and the seniors in the team will have to shoulder most of the responsibility.

Diana Edulji during an event at  the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje

“Every team is almost equal now. So, it’s all about who plays well on that day to go through. We have to be extremely professional. The players with more experience have to perform. Even Harman has to pick up her game. I’m not thinking too far ahead, about winning the title, but I hope they at least go till the final, otherwise, it will be said that this [ODI World Cup triumph] was a fluke,” Edulji told mid-day on Thursday.

The former captain reckoned that frequent changes in the playing XI is hampering the team’s combination. “I watched the last three games and can’t understand why they [Indian team] are struggling to beat England. You lost the second match [at Bristol on May 30] after being in a winning position. Then we could have defended 180 [in the third match at Taunton on June 2]. They’re chopping and changing too much. The T20 World Cup is just around the corner, so they should have their playing XI ready by now and should play that set of players only. This is not a practice arena anymore,” said Edulji, expressing concern about openers Shafali Verma (35 runs in three games), Smriti Mandhana (40 in three games) and skipper Harmanpreet’s (84 in two games) form. “Shafali is not getting runs. Now, if you’re not going to give a good start, it’s going to put pressure all the way through till the 20th over. Smriti’s also struggling. I still feel T20 is not our forte. We play too many dot balls. That has to come down, rotate the strike with singles. You don’t have to hit a boundary off every ball,” remarked Edulji.

When asked about Mumbai batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored 99 in her last three games, Edulji said: “She [Rodrigues] is good, but I think she gets carried away. She got bowled [on 29 in the third game] unnecessarily by stepping out to [pacer] Lauren Bell,” said Edulji stressing on the need for every player to take up responsibility. “Put a price tag on your wickets. There is no need for the lower order batters to come out at all if Harman and she [Rodrigues] can get a partnership,” concluded Edulji.

India’s performance at the T20 World Cup so far

2009: Lost to New Zealand in semi-finals
2010: Lost to Australia in semi-finals
2012: Exited in group stage
2014: Exited in group stage
2016: Exited in group stage
2018: Lost to England in semi-finals
2020: Lost to Australia in final
2023: Lost to Australia in semi-finals
2024: Exited in group stage

No Indian in T20 World Cup record list!

Most wickets in one edition: Amelia Kerr (NZ) 15 wickets
Oldest World Cup-winning captain: Sophie Devine (NZ) 35 years and 49 days
Highest individual score: Meg Lanning (Australia) 126 not out
Most appearances: Ellyse Perry (Australia) 47
Most wickets: Megan Schutt (Australia) 48
Most runs: Suzie Bates (NZ) 1216
Most sixes: Deandra Dottin (West Indies) 31
Highest average: Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) 43.30
PS: Harmanpreet Kaur can become the oldest winning captain if Team India can triumph this summer.

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