February 17, 2022 3
Smriti Mandhana is set to improve her batting, but Harmanpreet Kaur is under pressure in a must-win game. Faced with yet another series defeat, India would be relieved to see star opener; Smriti Mandhana returns for the third women’s ODI against New Zealand on Friday. Mandhana, the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year; had completed her necessary quarantine in Christchurch and rejoined the squad in time for the second ODI; although she need a few days to get match-ready. Smriti Mandhana is the place to improve her batting, but Harmanpreet Kaur is under pressure in a must-win game. After finishing their quarantine, Pacers Renuka Singh and Meghna Singh are also ready for selection. Jhulan Goswami, the lead bowler; is scheduled to play on Friday after missing the second game due to a neck spasm. Despite the fact that Mandhana’s return is welcome, India did not lose the previous game because of their batting. The bowlers betrayed the team by failing to defend a competitive 271-run goal. Only 10 overs of speed employed due to Goswami’s absence; with Pooja Vastrakar bowling seven overs and debutant Simran Bahadur three. The spinners didn’t give up many runs, but they couldn’t achieve the breakthroughs. Going into the must-win game, the squad must also strengthen its fielding. To overcome New Zealand, the visitors will need to put together a near-perfect game; since the Kiwis appear ...