Women’s World Cup: India start chasing a dream, with opener against Sri Lanka

The runners-up finish in ICC 2017 Women’s Cup, under Mithali Raj, is often considered the game-changer for the game in India. The onus is now on Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. to go the distance at home, as they set the ball rolling against a resurgent Sri Lanka in Guwahati on 30 September, Tuesday.

India’s second league game will be against Pakistan in Colombo on 5 October in what promises to be a blockbuster, but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has maintained their focus will be on cricket only. They last hosted this tournament in 2013 and will be firmly focused on setting up a deep run with some early victories.

They are currently the third-ranked nation in ODIs behind only Australia (1st) and England (2nd).

Far away from the rancour and bitterness which pervaded the Men’s Asia Cup which concluded in Dubai on 27 September, Sunday, the hosts readied themselves for the campaign with an impressive four-wicket win over fellow Cup contenders New Zealand on Saturday.  Harleen Deol (74 off 79 deliveries) and Harmanpreet (69 off 86) completed the chase in 40.2 overs and four wickets to spare while allrounder Arundhati Reddy picked up two for 42.

“We wanted to take the game deep and we wanted to get that confidence going for the World Cup,” Harleen Deol said later. She hit scored 10 boundaries to help the Women in Blue chase down New Zealand’s 232/8 with nearly 10 overs to spare.

After an injury scare only days earlier, Reddy chipped in with nine tight overs. “We got good game time. As a team, we feel really prepared and really looking forward to playing the World Cup.”

Reddy had to be helped off the ground in a wheelchair in a loss to England just two days earlier. While bowling, she was struck square on the knee by a Heather Knight drive but the allrounder showed resilience and determination to prove her fitness on the eve of the World Cup and suit up just two days later.

“Initially, it was scary for me,” she continued. “(I) was really scared to even get up. But I would really like to thank the medical staff of our team, because they really did a good job and they gave me the confidence that I can play.”