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T20I Series Chance For Buoyant Indian Women’s Cricket Team To Finish Australia Tour On A High

Indian Women

Harmanpreet Kaur’s return from injury will give India a heavyweight presence as they take on a multi-dimensional Australian women’s team in a three-match T20I series starting on Thursday in Gold Coast. Due to a thumb injury, the 32-year-old veteran missed the ODI leg and the day/night Test against the hosts. She has returned to the team to offer firepower to a batting line-up that includes a swashbuckling opener in Shafali Verma, who compliments Smriti Mandhana’s flamboyance at the top of the order. After scoring a wonderful maiden Test century, Mandhana will be full of confidence moving into the final phase of the Australian trip.

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Despite the significant differences between the two formats, the senior opening will undoubtedly want to keep the enthusiasm going.

While Harmanpreet is a nice addition, Shafali will be the focus of all eyes because to her proclivity for aggressive batting, which is supported by her range of strokes on both sides of the wicket.

The visitors have demonstrated their ability to adapt to diverse formats in a short period of time during the tour, which helped them dominate the pink ball Test shortly after ending Australia’s three-year world-record string of 26 wins.

Injuries (groyne before the South Africa series and thumb here) may have set her back recently, but the next three matches will provide Harmanpreet with the ideal opportunity to recapture her touch in the shorter formats before the ODI World Cup next year.

Harmanpreet is still one of the best match-winners in the game’s shorter formats, and she’ll be optimistic about her chances in the coming days.

While the Australian bowling attack works on Shafali, Mandhana, and Harmanpreet, youthful Jemimah Rodrigues will have another opportunity to restore her form.

Jemimah hasn’t had the finest time with the national squad, but she’ll be buoyed by her performance in ‘The Hundred.’

Jemimah’s free-flowing style will be aided by the bouncy Australian pitches, which her captain will look to exploit as well, as she is a natural stroke-maker.

In the shorter formats, Australia’s bevvy of all-rounders make them a difficult opponent, but this Indian team has the ability to unsettle the hosts.

The Indians can draw inspiration from the nearly 180-run chase they faced in a T20I before the World Cup last year, as well as Harmanpreet’s attack on their bowlers in the 2017 World Cup.

Veteran seamer Jhulan Goswami will be absent, as he has been in the T20s for some time, but India will be well serviced by the likes of Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, and Shikha Pandey.

In the batting line, the visitors can look to wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh and middle-order batswoman Yastka Bhatia for runs.

Australia, as has been the case in recent years, will rely on its all-rounders to give them an advantage. Captain Meg Lanning is optimistic that a couple of her multi-talented rising stars can contribute at the plate.

In-form all-rounder Tahlia McGrath is likely to make her T20I debut for Australia, following an outstanding performance in the pink ball game.

Annabel Sutherland is making a case for selection after her recent form with the ball, while Nicola Carey’s excellent track record will guarantee she remains in the mix.

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