New Delhi, Oct 16 From the time Amol Muzumdar took over as India women’s head coach last year, India tried out six different players at number three spot in T20Is. With no one claiming the spot as theirs’, especially after Yastika Bhatia was injured, it zeroed on captain Harmanpreet Kaur to bat at number three in 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.
But the confusion just didn’t end there. In games against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, Harmanpreet came out to bat at number three. Against Pakistan and Australia, Jemimah Rodrigues, who was slotted in at number five, was promoted to bat at three.
Former India captain Anjum Chopra termed the roulette around the side’s number three batter as ‘bizarre’ and felt it affected both Harmanpreet and Jemimah. “Absolutely bizarre. I didn't think that that Indian team would actually be in such a conundrum. I just question, ‘why?’ I'm not questioning the team management, but I'm just questioning the scenario which I see when I sit in the commentary box or when I sit at home and watch the Indian team play - like why cause such confusion around, and what is the need for it?”
“India has always had this challenge of not promoting Harmanpreet at number three. I've never understood that fetish and repeatedly things have happened where she has not been sent at number three. I feel that Harman should go at number three. Maybe that's my feeling, but I'm not the one who's calling the shots. Rightly so, it's the people who have to decide keeping the team's balance into perspective and understand what is the best for the team.”
“In that scenario also, it's best to send Harmanpreet at number three because she can control the game from the top, and gets more time. The kind of player that she is, she'll get more time to structure it. Even if Harmanpreet was not the choice, my only thought is like we spent the entire 10-12 months looking at who that number three fit could be,” said Anjum in an exclusive conversation with IANS from Dubai.
What also left Anjum bewildered was the impact of the ‘number three’ confusion on the team dynamics. “We tried different options who don't even figure in the playing eleven eventually. So don't we feel that we've wasted all that time? When the crunch situation happened, we are looking for options again.”
“So it's not only disturbing Harmanpreet who probably would have prepared for that position prior to the New Zealand game. I don't think she played badly. Yes, she didn't play for long. But the next game again, Jemimah, who's probably preparing to play in the middle order role, is removed from that role and asked to play in the number three position.”
“So you're actually changing two people and still not being able to do the job which is required. We're still very conservative in our approach. If number three has to be promoted, then if not Harmanpreet, then there are batters who we call as power-hitters in that lineup. They could be promoted. Things could have been done differently.”
An aspect which also hurt India with the bat was the lack of game time for lower-order batters like Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy and Shreyanka Patil, which reflected when none of them hanged around for long to support Harmanpreet and take India over the line in a chase of 151 against Australia at Sharjah.
“England had that challenge as well. But it's not that they didn't take up the challenge. 141 on the board for what England scored against West Indies in the last league game. Despite their top three really not firing, which they have been doing, 141 was not a bad target on a pitch where they did not play a single game. But at least that effort was there. They were not looking like, helter skelter, so what now will happen?”
“If everybody gets the chance to play in the 20 overs, then we'll also start questioning what our batters are trying to do and how they are scoring and not scoring. There will always be a questions from our side, but it's about knowing exactly what your role is. T20 game will always keep asking and throwing challenges at you as a player, batter, and bowler. You have to just be prepared. Whichever team or individual is better prepared, they will always come out trumps on top.”
“At least that effort of getting better from where you were in the last event, that effort needs to showcase. It's not about always winning or losing. It's about have you as an individual become better at your skill? Have you been able to counter the situation that you were faced in the last time you were in a similar scenario? Are you better placed to handle that situation? Yes or no? If you are, very good. If you are not, then that means that is what is raising an alarm for me rather than many other things,” concluded Anjum.
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