By: BCCI
The India women’s team is geared up to put their best foot forward in the five-match ODI series against the visiting New Zealand Women’s team. The first three games of the series hold a special significance as the outcome plays a role in determining the team’s standing in the ICC Women’s Championship. It will eventually have a bearing on the team’s possibility of direct qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup, 2017.
India currently occupy the No. 8 position at the table while their opposition are just a number above them. Asked if the approach to first three ODIs would be any different vis a vis rest of the series, Jhulan Goswami said, “The first three matches are obviously important for us. We are playing five ODIs and if we do well we can definitely win the series.”
“The thing is we have to follow our process and play well throughout the tournament. We cannot rely on the first three matches alone. If we don’t do well, we can definitely come back and do well in the next one. It’s not that we’ll focus on the first three and just give up after that. Throughout the series we will maintain that intensity level.”
Reflecting on the points table, the ace pacer said, “Unfortunately we’re at the bottom of the points table at the moment but we want to come up and do well. New Zealand is a good side but if we play well we can beat them. We want to do well and if we follow our process results will definitely come out. But we are focusing on only one match at a time. As a unit we want to perform and do well.”
Speaking about the hosts’ preparation, she elaborated, “Our preparation has been bang on target. We were playing Challenger Trophy at Mysore. The selectors had picked 21 probables and we had a camp and the intensity level was very good in the camp. It was a very balanced side. This series is very important for us in terms of ICC Championship. If we win the first three matches, the points from those matches will help us qualify for the 2017 World Cup. Hopefully we’ll do well.
“Challengers Trophy is the best tournament in India because the best girls from each state team and Railways compete in it. They pick 36 probables and among us we play league and knockout matches. All the teams are equally balanced and all the best girls participate in the Challenger trophy. So it is one of the best domestic tournaments. We all look forward to the Challengers because the competition is so high, we enjoy a lot and some quality cricket is played.”
Smriti Mandhana too agreed that the domestic season has helped the team prepare for the challenge ahead. “We had a couple of domestic seasons. The intensity level of matches was pretty good and we had also played against South Africa in November 2014. It hasn’t been that long. The domestic season was great so the preparation for this series is good.”
Speaking about the gains from the Challenger Trophy, Goswami added, “There are plenty of young girls who are doing well in the domestic circuit and selectors are giving them equal opportunity to play with us, seniors. In the Indian team also there are so many youngsters from the Under-19 level because they want to provide them an opportunity to play against world-class teams.”
