The Team Who Strategises Well And Reads The Pitch Nicely Will Have The Edge: Reema Malhotra

The build-up of India's campaign has been chaotic, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur declared fit after picking a shoulder niggle in the tri-series final, while her deputy and left-handed opener Smriti Mandhana is an unlikely starter for Sunday's match against Pakistan.

Former India cricketer Reema Malhotra exclusively spoke to ahead of the side's campaign opener against Pakistan, on the roles of Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma being a crucial cog in the wheel and much more.

Excerpts

Q. India's first game is against Pakistan in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup. What are the factors you think India should be careful about in their opening match of the tournament?

A. India-Pakistan games have always been high-voltage and high-pressure matches. In my opinion, one should look at it as first match of T20 World Cup and how you will approach it by playing on your strengths as in T20, any team can be dominant over the other side. So, you cannot afford to take anyone lightly.

One may not remember what happened last year, what matters is the things to be done today and the game plan around a particular match. The team who strategises well and reads the pitch nicely will have the edge. But the advantage is with India. The players have to think positive and take it as the start of the T20 World Cup instead of looking at it as playing against Pakistan.

Q. What did you make of India's performance in the tri-series in South Africa, where they went from being the only undefeated team to losing the final in East London?

A. India's performance in the tri-series wasn't that great as compared to the standards they have set. But definitely the wickets weren't that great, like they were slow and turned too. Though the team didn't lose any match in the league stage, they looked in difficulty during the final.

The batting has become a lot dependent on Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, which is an area India have to improve upon and sort it out. Otherwise the team is solid and they have to perform as a unit if they are to do well in the World Cup.

The dream which was seen of winning the World Cup was fulfilled by the U19 team and now it is the time for the senior women's team. On behalf of everyone, I would wish them good luck and please bring the cup home.

Q. With the bat, no doubt Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur are the mainstays for India. Do you think that the side is a little bit overdependent on the duo, and should the other batters now need to step up in case Smriti and Harmanpreet have an off day with the bat or are unavailable for a match in the tournament?

A. A lot depends on Harmanpreet and Smriti as they have kept the standard so high that one can't take their eyes off them. But here, you have players like Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Harleen Deol, who can contribute well and be match-winners on their own day.

I would like to see how India clicks as a good batting unit and the positions batters will be assigned is very important as a lot hinges on that. But Harmanpreet and Smriti are definitely the top two batters from the Indian team.

Eyes will be on them, but how much pressure will be on them, that time will tell. But now they are at a stage where they can handle pressure really well and know how to run a game. With Smriti at the top and Harmanpreet in the middle, rest of the batters will have to play around them.

Q. In the Women's T20 World Cup, how crucial would be the roles of Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh in the Indian team, two players who spent 40 days playing in South Africa conditions during the historic U19 Women's T20 World Cup triumph?

A. Definitely, there will be a positive effect of Richa and Shafali in the Indian team. They played in those conditions for over a month and are pretty familiar with the surroundings. They have also learnt how to handle pressure as they are coming after winning a World Cup.

The biggest thing is, once you are coming off winning a World Cup, you bring that confidence and they will rub shoulders with others in the team, giving them the confidence that yes, we can do it. Plus, both Shafali and Richa now know very well what to do and what not to do in South African conditions.

Q. Deepti Sharma has been one of the brightest performers for the Indian team since 2022 with both bat and ball in literally every scenario, including finishing matches. What do you think makes Deepti a pivotal player in India's plans during the T20 World Cup?

A. When Deepti Sharma's name comes, then what comes immediately to mind is being a consistent performer, be it be with the ball or bat. One can really look at the options she brings to a captain. She's the go-to bowler for the captain - be it be bowling in the power-play or death overs.

She's a good bowler, has the experience and knows how to handle pressure, apart from having the variety and reads the batter well. As a bowler, she's always one step ahead of the batters. If I talk about the batting, then she's fully and justifiably playing the role of the finisher. Initially, she was dependent on the sweep shot, but now one can see her shots being played all over the park though leg-side is definitely her strength area.

Deepti is that kind of a player in Harmanpreet Kaur's side who knows how to absorb the pressure, which becomes very crucial in crunch situations. Also, when you have all-rounders in the team, they bring depth to batting and bowling. It is exactly the job Deepti Sharma is doing - of being a consistent performer and match-winner.

Q. Conditions in South Africa could be slow and sluggish, as compared to the generally conducive pitches for stroke play and fast bowlers. In that case, what do you think would be the best strategy for the Indian team to excel in those conditions in the T20 World Cup and how crucial will the role of spinners become?

A. I feel that the wickets will be on the slower side as at this point of time, the wickets are used and tired. But spin bowling is good, if I talk about the Indian team. Also, batters are of great quality. The thing is, they have to figure out the balance between attack and over-attack. I also feel that matches will be high as well as low-scoring.

Anything around 130-140 will be a good score, especially if one has a quality spin attack like India. Plus, they have variety in Deepti Sharma's off-spin, Devika Vaidya's leg-spin, and left-arm spinners in Radha Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Shafali can be used as a bowler too.

One can have a look at it as with Harmanpreet picking a shoulder niggle, the team can look to Shafali Verma as a part-time spin option. Till now, she has shown a lot of solidity as a bowler. So, India have quality spin attack to excel, but how the batters divide the 20 overs, that will be important.

Q. Also, what are your expectations from the Indian fast bowlers like veteran Shikha Pandey, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar and Anjali Sarvani from this T20 World Cup?

A. This time, India's bowling unit is good. We can definitely say that India's batting is their strength. But this time around, if you have a glance at the bowling attack, there's variety. If we talk about the pacers, it is good that Anjali is a part of the team. She had a good domestic season, and brings variety as she's a left-arm pacer.

Along with her, Pooja Vastrakar, if she's fit enough to take the field, is a true asset for the Indian team. She has got the pace and can play big shots later in the batting order. Pooja is going to have a key role in this T20 World Cup and is the x-factor for me.

Shikha Pandey brings experience while Renuka Thakur has been fantastic in the last two seasons, be it in the international or domestic arena. Overall, it has a good blend of youth and experience.

Q. In your opinion, who are the teams who can pose a threat to the Indian team in Group B in the T20 World Cup?

A. See, this is a World Cup. It brings pressure and definitely, all teams will be tough. How a team performs on a particular day, your result will be dependent on that factor. All of us know that any team can perform well on a particular day and the result can be anything.

But the team which can pose problems to India is England, as they have the big names and have certain white-ball players who can play attacking cricket. You also cannot ignore Ireland as they will be coming with full confidence in the tournament after beating Australia in the warm-up.

Q. The Women's Premier League is all set to turn into reality next month in Mumbai. Apart from the historic U19 T20 World Cup triumph in January, how big a boost will these two events give to women's cricket in India and what change it can bring about the sport in the country?

A. Women's Premier League will bring a huge change to women's cricket in the country. Something like this had happened in 2007, when the Indian men's team won the inaugural Men's T20 World Cup and immediately, the IPL began. That triumph also happened in South Africa and I strongly feel that a repeat of it could happen.

Like, India wins Women's T20 World Cup and then Women's Premier League begins to change the story forever. There will be some talent who may not have played domestic matches and could get picked straightaway in the WPL, and who knows, they might play for India. We have already seen players like that appearing in the Men's IPL.

I hope that bench strength improves. I also feel that the outlook of parents will also change as they will also think a woman should play cricket. The pool of players will increase and the chance to showcase talent will be there. See, every player can't get to play for India, but after domestic cricket, if there is a platform to try and get a chance to make it to the Indian team, then it's WPL.

Like, India wins Women's T20 World Cup and then Women's Premier League begins to change the story forever. There will be some talent who may not have played domestic matches and could get picked straightaway in the WPL, and who knows, they might play for India. We have already seen players like that appearing in the Men's IPL.

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