Can India Women cross the final hurdle and bring the silverware home?

Is it delusional for the India women’s team to dream of winning the ODI Cricket World Cup? There is no denying that some international teams such as Australia are powerhouses, and thwarting their challenge will not be easy. However, India women's team has punched above its weight and made it to the finals twice.

They achieved this feat in 2005 and 2017, only to slip at the final hurdle. In 2017, they came agonizingly close when a batting collapse, facilitated by an inspiring spell from Anya Shrubsole, caused them to fall short by nine runs.

The inability to cope with big-match pressure has brought the team's downfall on several occasions. So, the World Cup journey in New Zealand starting March 4 will be fraught with numerous obstacles, and only a fool will build castles in the air. However, one can hope that India Women gets all the bases covered before the tournament begins.

The squad has been announced, and questions have been raised over some notable omissions. But now, the selected team must persevere and look forward to another opportunity of surpassing all expectations in an ICC tournament.

India Women's below-par ODI performance in 2021

India Women featured in 11 ODIs in 2021, distributed over three series, two overseas and one on home soil. They won a mere three matches, managing to avoid a whitewash in each. Such dismal form would have spelt disaster for them had the World Cup not been postponed due to the pandemic.

Yes, 2021 had been about experimenting with new players in a bid to get the right combination for the World Cup. However, a 4-1 defeat at the hands of South Africa in the ODI series at home exposed their frailties comprehensively.

Ramesh Powar returned as head coach prior to a full tour of England. The experimentation continued, but some spirited performances saw the team salvage some pride against the much-fancied English team and later the mighty Aussies.

Players need to work on their weaknesses if they wish to go the distance in the World Cup. Seasoned campaigners like skipper Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami do deserve an ICC trophy before passing on the baton to the younger generation.

Persistent loopholes need to be filled

India's batting has lacked firepower in the middle and lower-middle order. Whenever either of the openers, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, fail to play long, the entire batting effort goes awry. The likes of Mithali and Deepti Sharma can hold the fort in case of a batting collapse or when the team is chasing a low score. But whenever the need for acceleration rises, the team fails miserably. This trend needs to change if India wishes to excel in this edition of the World Cup.

Yes, an attacking game does not come naturally to some players, but it is not always about scoring the boundaries. Threading the gaps to pick up ones and twos is equally important. Indian batters have been guilty of slowing down in the middle overs and trying to catch up at the death. In the first ODI against England in 2021, the team squandered 181 balls while batting first. And they mustered 201-8 in the remaining 19.5 overs. The impact of dot balls on the team score can easily be felt. The current batting unit can become intimidating for the opposition if the menace of dot balls is taken care of.

Another undoing has been the saga of dropped catches. And it has even happened on the grand stage. Perhaps the team would have come home with the T20 World Cup in 2020 had Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney not been granted a reprieve each in the final. However, cricket is not a game of ifs and buts. One can only hope that the team will pull up its socks and take the fielding standards a notch higher.

Furthermore, the old workhorse Goswami needs support. The selection committee has put faith in a young pace battery. This includes the likes of Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh Thakur. The New Zealand conditions will be ideal for their bowling. The team's fate will depend a lot on their form and how they assist Goswami. Spinners have won many a match single-handedly, and this World Cup warrants the pacers to rise to the occasion.

What will a World Cup triumph mean for India Women?

Can the disappointment of 2017 World Cup be put to rest once and for all?

The cries for a Women’s IPL have often been silenced under the pretext of lack of viewership. The team's empty trophy cabinet has also been pointed at. These will take backstage once India Women bring home the trophy. The team deserves followers irrespective of their performance on the grand stage. However, a victory can propel the fan following to a whole new level.