India’s batting order experiments key for 2025 WC prep

India may not have a possibility to salvage the ODI collection in opposition to Australia, with the customer taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. However, the third recreation at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday offers the host an opportunity to experiment because it prepares for the 2025 ODI World Cup scheduled in India.

Coach Amol Muzumdar’s determination to advertise Richa Ghosh, seen typically as a potent finisher, to quantity three within the second ODI puzzled many. He selected to again her top-order credentials which have introduced her success within the home circuit for Bengal with the Indian aspect as effectively.

ALSO READ: ‘Bucket Hatters’ gentle up Wankhede, give recreation’s largest stakeholder a voice

This means Muzumdar views Jemimah Rodrigues, a middle-order mainstay, extra within the quantity 5 slot. In the 26 ODIs she has performed, Jemimah has performed solely three matches in that place and has 178 runs to her title. Her high two scores of 86 and 82 each got here on this slot.

Muzumdar additionally dropped Shafali Verma and Saika Ishaque on this recreation.

Shafali’s atypical run with the bat (She has scores of 1,4,0,8,1 in her final 5 ODIs) gave Yastika Bhatia an opportunity to maintain her place within the high 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 mentioned.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led outfit might want to lock roles for its batting order with an eye fixed on the decrease center order. Sending Deepti Sharma at quantity six didn’t work out, with the allrounder managing a strained 36-ball 24.

ALSO READ: IND vs SA: Set to guide South Africa in second Test in opposition to India, Dean Elgar goals for one final hurrah

Pooja Vastrakar, who scored a brisk 46-ball 62 at a strike price of 134.78 within the opening ODI, was despatched in at quantity eight with the scoreboard strain rising with every supply. However, Muzumdar insisted that one couldn’t place blame on one participant.

“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 mentioned.