Women in Blue did not qualify for the semi-final; but win many hearts

Not once, not twice, but thrice did the Women in Blue could not hold on to their nerves in the Group Stage of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2016. After starting off with a comprehensive victory against Bangladesh, the Indian fans across the globe were positive and hoped that the women’s team would certainly make the cut for the knock-outs. Arch rivals Pakistan got the better off India, courtesy their 2-run win as per the D/L method in the rain-interrupted game. Mithali Raj & co. were fighting hard but perhaps not hard enough because everytime they inched closer to the victory, they let loose and helped the opposition get the better of them. At Dharamshala, the hosts had almost pocketed a stunning win against England while defending a humble 91 runs, but lost the match in the final over by two wickets.

It was a do-or-die contest at Mohali when the Indian team locked horns agaist West Indies. The Group was open as none of the teams had qualified for the knock-outs. Was it the pressure or was it the nerves that put the India eves in a shell? Only our girls can answer this. Chasing 115 runs in a big match could get tricky sometimes and that is what exactly happened on Sunday. The bowlers Harmanpreet Kaur (4-23 in 3 overs) and Anuja Patil (3-16 in 4 overs) did a commendable job in restricting the Carribeans to 114 even after the magnificent knocks from Deandra Dottin (45 runs off 40 balls) and skipper Stafanie Taylor (47 runs off 45 balls). Mind you, the girls were capable of chasing this target, as they had chased a record 141 against Aussies in their own backyard a couple of months back.

The otherwise powerful stroke-maker Harmanpreet Kaur (7 runs off 20 balls) looked out of sorts, so did India’s most dependable batswoman and skipper Mithali Raj who was out for a duck. Though Veda Krishnamurthy (18 runs off 16 balls) came out all guns blazing, she failed to score big on the big day. The two Maharashtra girls Anuja Patil (26 runs off 27 balls) and Smriti Mandhana (22 runs off 27 balls) tried to consolidate the innings, but unfortunately Mandhana played one on to her stumps to make her way back to the dug out. Anuja then joined hands with one of the most veteran players in the team Jhulan Goswami (25 runs off 19 balls) but it was too late in the day. Goswami muscled a few shots but was unfortunately run out.

India lost the match by merely 3 runs. A decent fielding unit otherwise, there was a misfield in the final over which went for a boundary. Had it been saved, who knows, the Women in Blue would be out there on Thursday to play their semi-final against New Zealand. 

Source: Getty Images

India eves lose against England in a thriller; chances of qualifying for the knock-outs bleak

The fans at Dharamshala witnessed a thrilling contest when the hosts took on England eves on Tuesday in a must-win game. Winning the toss and electing to field first Charlotte Edwards and co. did a wonderful job in restricting the hosts to 90-8 in 20 overs. Apart from Harmanpreet Kaur (26 runs off 25 balls), the other Indian batswomen looked listless as they failed to pick up gaps and hit the odd boundaries. Heather Knight was the pick of the bowlers, finishing off with envious figures of 3-15 in four overs. She caught the hosts in her spin web, not allowing the home team to score off her bowling.

After the batting debacle in the first innings not many would have expected the match to go down the wire. It was some fantastic Indian bowling accompanied with electrifying fielding that helped India’s cause. The Women in Blue held on to their catches and fielded brilliantly to claim a couple of run outs as well. The English team got off to a flying start when they quickly moved on to 2-42 in 5.4 overs. Seeing the start, everybody had written off India’s chances of winning the game. But Mithali Raj and her girls didn’t lose hope till the very end. They made a strong back with the spin twins Ekta Bisht (4-21) and Harmanpreet Kaur (2-22) running through the middle order. There was tension mounting in the visitor’s dugout as the hosts reduced them to 8-87 in 17.5 overs. A rare dropped catch by Raj at covers off Veda Krishnamurthy’s bowling dashed India’s hopes of winning the match. Anya Shrubsole hit the winning runs to see her team winning the nail biting cracker by two wickets.

Heather Knight was declared as the Man of the Match for her match-winning bowling display. Since the hosts have won just one out of three games, they will hope that England beats West Indies on Thursday and India comprehensively defeats West Indies on Sunday, which will give them the outside chance of qualifying for the knock-outs.   

Brief Scores: India Women 90-8 in 20 overs (M Raj 20, H Kaur 26; H Knight 3-15, A Shrubsole 2-12) lost to England Women 92-8 in 19 overs (T Beaumont 20, N Sciver 19; E Bisht 4-21, H Kaur 2-22) by 2 wickets

source: www.cricketcountry.com

Pakistan women beat India by D/L method

It was a cracker of a contest at Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday when the arch rivals India and Pakistan faced off against each other in the ICC Women’s World T20. Sana Mir, the Pakistani skipper won the toss and put the hosts to bat first. Was it the pitch or was it the India-Pakistan match pressure that swallowed the otherwise strong Indian batting line-up? India eves managed to post a humble 96-7 in 20 overs, thanks to some aggressive batting from Veda Krishnamurthy (24 runs off 19 balls). At one stage, they were found struggling at 7-2 in the first six overs. Singles were hard to come and the Indian batters, including the skipper Mithali Raj, could not find gaps. Though the visitors bowled well and fielded brilliantly, India women looked slightly off-colour.

Pakistan started off well and it seemed that it would be a cake walk for them. Sidra Ameen top scored with 26 runs in as many balls. After the initial onslaught by the Pakistan women, the Indian bowlers pulled up their socks and ran through the middle order with some fantastic bowling accompanied by terrific fielding. The catch at covers by Raj and the couple of run outs turned the game around with Pakistan wanting 20 runs off 24 balls. When the Indian dug out was breathing a sigh of relief, the play was interrupted by the unwelcomed rain. The ground was cleared and so were India’s hopes of winning the match. As per the par score (D/L method), Pakistan was marginally ahead by 2 runs. The play never resumed and the visitors were jumping with joy as they clinched this nail biting contest against their arch rivals.

India still leads the Group B table and will play its next match against England on Tuesday at Dharamsala.

Brief Scores: India Women 96-7 in 20 overs (V Krishnamurthy 24, M Raj 16, H Kaur 16; A Amin 1-9, A Iqbal 1-13) lost to Pakistan Women 77-6 in 16 overs (S Ameen 26, N Khan 14; H Kaur 1-9, J Goswami 1-14) by 2 runs as per the D/L method

    source:www.icc-cricket.com

India eves thrash Bangladesh in ICC T20 World Cup 2016 opener

The Women in Blue did not put a single foot wrong on Tuesday when they faced their eastern neighbours Bangladesh in the opening game of ICC World T20 2016. The visitors won the toss and elected to field first. Mithali Raj-lead India was more than happy to go out there and express themselves. Skipper Mithali (42) and opening bat Vellaswamy Vanitha (38) smacked the Bangladeshi bowlers all-round the park. They stitched a wonderful 62-run partnership in 46 balls. It was not yet over. Though India lost its star batswoman Smriti Mandhana (0) cheaply, Harmanpreet Kaur (40) and Veda Krishnamurthy (36*) ensured their team posted a challenging total on board. India finished off with its highest ever T20 score of 163-5 in 20 overs. The Indian batting was top class. Fahima Khatun and Rumana Ahmed were the pick of the bowlers with couple of wickets apiece.

Bangladesh’s approach never looked like they would chase down this mountain-like target. The hosts bowled well to restrict the visitors for a paltry 91-5, thus winning the match by a huge margin of 72 runs. Spin twins Anuja Patil and Poonam Yadav were brilliant with the ball as they grabbed up two wickets each. Wicket-keeper Nigar Sultana top scored with 27 runs, withy opening bat Sharmin Akhter chipping in 21 runs.

Harmanpreet Kaur was declared as the Man of the Match for her fantastic batting display. India plays its next match against arch rivals Pakistan on Saturday at Delhi.

Brief Scores: India Women 163-5 in 20 overs (M Raj 42, H Kaur 40, V Vanitha 38, V Krishnamurthy 36*; F Khatun 2-31, R Ahmed 2-35) beat Bangladesh Women 91-5 in 20 overs (N Sultana 27*, S Akhter 21, A Patil 2-16, P Yadav 2-17) by 72 runs

Source:www.espncricinfo.com

Smriti Mandhana does it again for Women in Blue to beat Sri Lanka in the warm-up game

Smriti Mandhana seems to be in sublime form as she scored another fantastic knock against Sri Lanka on Saturday in a warm-up match at Bengaluru. Batting first the island nation posted 125-4 in 20 overs, thanks to a well-constructed innings of wicketkeeper-batswoman Dilani Manodara. Manodara remained unbeaten on 43 off 35 cherries, smacking four boundaries and a six. Eshani Lokusuriyage played a cameo towards the end scoring 34 runs off 20 balls, finding the fence six times. For the hosts, it was Deepti Sharma who bowled well to grab 2-4 in two overs and received good support from Shikha Pandey and Poonam Yadav, who picked up one wicket each.

Southpaw Mandhana, who came in to bat at no.3 started from where she had left in the previous game against Ireland. The 19-year old seems to be enjoying her purple patch as she raced to score 42 runs off just 28 deliveries hitting five boundaries and a six. India openers Mithali Raj (23 runs off 33 balls) and Vellaswamy Vanitha (37 runs off 34 balls) provided a solid start to the run-chase. Harmanpreet Kaur also chipped in with a run a ball 12 run innings to finish off the game in style. Udeshika Prabodhani and Sugandika Kumari were the wicket-takers with one wicket apiece. The hosts chased down the target in 17.5 overs, winning the match by eight wickets.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Women 125-4 in 20 overs (D Manodara43*, E Lokusuriyage 34*; D Sharma 2-4) lost to India Women 128-2 in 17.5 overs (S Mandhana 42*, V Vanitha 37, M Raj 23) by 8 wickets

Source: www.dnaindia.com

India eves kick start the T20 World Cup campaign on a high

Riding on southpaw Smriti Mandhana’s wonderful knock of 73 runs off just 52 balls, India eves posted a challenging 147-4 on board in their full quota of 20 overs against Ireland during a warm-up match on Thursday at Bengaluru. Mandhana’s bat has been talking since the last two months when she scored plenty of runs against Australia and Sri Lanka. She smacked 10 boundaries and a six in her blistering knock. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Women in Blue led by Mithali Raj were solid with the bat and made the most of this warm-up game. Harmanpreet Kaur (24) and Veda Krishnamurthy (26) chipped in with some useful contributions in the middle order to see the hosts past 140-run mark. Kim Garth was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland as she finished off with miserly figures of 3-16 in four overs. Robyn Lewis was the other bowler who picked up a wicket.

Though Ireland started off as minnows, the ladies put up a good show against a relatively strong India team. Ireland could manage 118-9 in 20 overs, falling shy of 29 runs. Cath Dolton top scored with 37 runs off 30 balls and found able ally in skipper Isobel Joyce who punched 28 runs off 30 cherries. Twin pacers Shikha Pandey and Niranjana Nagarajan grabbed couple of wickets apiece.

Brief Scores: India Women 147-4 in 20 overs (S Mandhana 73*, V Krishnamurthy 26, H Kaur 24; K Garth 3-16) beat Ireland Women 118-9 in 20 overs (C Dalton 37, I Joyce 28; S Pandey 2-22, N Nagarajan 2-17) by 29 runs

Source:www.cricketcountry.com

Close look at the India eves playing the ICC Women’s World T20 2016

Mithali Raj (Captain)
India’s no.1 batter and skipper of the Indian team, a lot will depend on this woman. We have seen her open the innings in T20 match recently which means that India is certainly assured of a good solid start. With tons of experience, Raj would want to exploit this and take her team to the first ever World Cup victory.

Thirush Kamini
Thirush Kamini opens the innings for India and her team would want her to get off to a flyer. She is aggressive and fearless and can take on any bowler. Kamini is blessed with all possible cricketing shots and a treat to watch. This southpaw from Andhra Pradesh is just – years old and has a lot of cricket ahead of her. 

Veda Krishnamurthy
Veda is an attacking batswoman and an occasional leg break bowler. She is just 23 years old and an integral part of the Indian team. She is a middle order bat and is known to be a clean striker of the cricket ball.

Niranjana Nagarajan

Niranjana is one of India’s frontline bowlers, who bowls at a good pace without compromising her line and length. She is an asset for the Indian team as she contributes with both, bat and bowl. As a bowler you would expect her to come lower down the order to bat, but the India skipper has loads of confidence on this girl and often gives her the opportunity to bat at the middle order.

 Harmanpreet Kaur

One of the most attacking players in the Indian batting line-up is Harmanpreet Kaur. She idolizes Virender Sehwag and if you see her batting, you will see the reflection of it. Her heroics in Australia just a few days back saw India winning the match in a record chase of 140 runs. Kaur is handy with the ball as she bowls occasional off-spins. A complete package, Harmanpreet will play a pivotal role in India’s World Cup journey.

Smriti Mandhana
Playing her domestic cricket for Maharashtra, this south-paw is a treat to watch. She is a stylish batter and has a good understanding of the game. She is aggressive and can dominate the best of best bowling attacks. Through her glasses she reads the ball well and is a tough nut to crack. Age is just a number for 19-year old Mandhana who has played some matured knocks in the recent past.

Shikha Pandey
Shikha Pandey is one of the best all-rounders in the Indian team. She bats in the middle order and is a right arm medium pace bowler. Shikha is aggressive and a wicket taking bowler. This 26-year old is more than handy with the willow and has a safe pair of hands.

Poonam Yadav
Playing her domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh, Poonam Yadav is one of the most promising cricketers in this Indian outfit. She bowls leg break and is not afraid to flight the ball.

                                                            

Vellaswamy Vanitha

Vanitha is a right handed bat, who is not afraid to play unorthodox cricketing shots. She can open the innings as well as bat in the middle order. Having someone like Vanitha is always good as she can accelerate the scoring rate at her will.

            Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Gayakwad is a slow left arm orthodox bowler and is a wicket-taking bowler for India. She is known to break partnerships and bowls a disciplined line and length.

1    Anuja Patil

Anuja Patil has made a dream start to her international career. She is a fantastic finisher, a brilliant bowler, who can open the bowling, just like Ravichandran Ashwin does it for the India men’s team. Though not a big turner of the ball, she gets the ball in right areas and is difficult to play at the start. Patil is an amazing athlete, who loves to throw herself on the ground.

1    Ekta Bisht

Ekta Bisht is a pocket sized dynamo. She bowls left arm orthodox and offers variety to the Indian bowling attack. She can the spin the ball well and is a good player to have in the side.

1    Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma is India’s one of most effective pace bowlers. She had a good outing against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T20 series. India will hope that alongwith Goswami, Sharma also fires in the World T20.

                                                             

1    Jhulan Goswami

India’s no.1 bowler, Jhulan Goswami will have to lead from the front. She is the spearhead of India’s bowling attack and if she gets going there is nothing that can stop India from winning. Goswami is also known for her batting abilities as she can pack a punch or two and can take the game away from the opposition. Raj and Goswami have played a lot of cricket together and team India would be banking on their enormous experience.

                                                             

1    Sushma Verma (Wicket-Keeper)

Her glove-work is exceptional behind the stumps and Sushma Verma is more than decent with the willow. She will be instrumental in motivating the girls and constant chirping between the deliveries will set the team up.

Can the Women in Blue lift the 2016 T20 World Cup?

While surfing the net yesterday, I came across something which will bring a smile across faces of millions of women’s cricket fans. A few of our Indian women cricketers were rubbing shoulders with their male counterparts in the BCCI advertisement showcasing the new jerseys that the Indian players, both men and women will flaunt in the upcoming T20 World Cup. As the men’s team holds high chances of winning the World Cup, the women’s team has also created hopes post their emphatic wins against Australia in Australia and Sri Lanka at home.

The Women in Blue thrashed the mighty Aussies 2-1 in the three-match T20 series in January in their own backyard to surprise one and all. It was their maiden T20 series win against the three-time World Champions. Then we had Sri Lanka coming in February. India eves were too good to beat and remained invincible as they white washed their neighbours 3-0 in the three-match T20 series. Having won the T20 series against Australia and Sri Lanka, ahead of the T20 World Cup, is a big boost for India.

On paper, India has a good mix of players. They have tons of experience in Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, and a whole bunch of young girls raring to play the Big Tournament. With the hunger to clinch the first ever T20 World Cup, the India eves are all charged up to take on any opposition. As the men’s team was gifted with the IPL after their win in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, let’s hope that we have the Women’s IPL coming up next year.

India Women's squad: Mithali Raj (C), Thirush Kamini, Veda Krishnamurthy, Niranjana Nagarajan, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Vellaswamy Vanitha, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Anuja Patil, Ekta Bisht, Deepti Sharma, Jhulan Goswami, Sushma Verma (WK)

India play their first match against Bangladesh on 15th March at Bengaluru.

                                                                                                                      Source: www.twenty20wiki.com