Skipper Mithali Raj, who scored 63 in the last ODI, registering her fourth successive half-century, is the only consistent batter in the team. However, Das felt that the youngsters in the team will need some time
Smriti Mandhana
India women’s team batting coach Shiv Sunder Das insists that the issues concerning opener Smriti Mandhana’s batting have been resolved and that the left-hander will come out all guns blazing in the second ODI against Australia in Mackay today.
Mandhana who has 2,269 ODI runs from 60 games, managed just 16 in the opening ODI of the three-match series, which visitors lost by nine wickets on Tuesday. “I had a one-to-one session with her [Mandhana]. We have worked hard in the last two sessions and have addressed some of her issues. She is a world-class player and we are backing her ability to get runs for us. We will definitely see the difference in tomorrow’s [Friday] game,” Das said during a pre-match virtual press conference on Thursday.
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‘Youngsters need time’
Skipper Mithali Raj, who scored 63 in the last ODI, registering her fourth successive half-century, is the only consistent batter in the team. However, Das felt that the youngsters in the team will need some time. “There are a lot of youngsters in the team, Yastika Bhatia got an opportunity and she batted really well [scored 35 in last ODI]. It’s a huge challenge for them. I hope they can perform well tomorrow,” said Das, a former India opener, who played 23 Tests, scoring 1,326 runs.
Work in progress
Das reckoned that rotating the strike continues to be an area of concern. “We have addressed some of the issues in the first 10 overs and in the middle overs, but are still working on running between the wickets. It’s a work in progress. We have a few young batters in the side and have to give them some time. Once they get used to the conditions, they will definitely fire,” Das added. Experienced all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur is yet to recover from her thumb injury and has been ruled out of the second ODI as well.
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