IND-W vs WI-W, 2nd ODI: India looks to avoid complacency as it eyes series win

IND-W vs WI-W, 2nd ODI: India looks to avoid complacency as it eyes series win

Coming on the back of a huge win in the series opener, India will be wary of complacency as it gears up for the second women’s ODI against the West Indies at the Kotambi Stadium on Tuesday.

Shrugging off the disappointment of a ODI series defeat in Australia earlier this month, the Women in Blue has had a memorable outing over the last few days. The side convincingly clinched the T20I series against the West Indies, followed by a dominating performance in the first ODI, with a 211-run win.

And, it will hope to keep the momentum going.

Keeping next year’s ODI World Cup in mind, India has experimented quite a bit – handing debuts to Priya Mishra and Pratika Rawal – and both have delivered. Leading up to the ICC event next year, the home team will be hoping to create a pool of younger talents.

While Smriti Mandhana has been in sublime form – hammering a century and four consecutive fifties across formats in her last five innings – the seasoned campaigners like Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol and captain Harmanpreet Kaur also chipped in with crucial knocks in the last game, helping India put up a mammoth total. On a sluggish black-soil surface, the home side will hope to tick all the boxes, again.

As overcast conditions prevailed on Monday, dew is expected to play a role once again, and it would be important for the teams to come strategically well-prepared. However, a confident India will be banking on its fast bowling unit, spearheaded by Renuka Singh Thakur. Under lights, Renuka delivered some fiery in-swingers to derail West Indies batting line-up, while Titas Sadhu bowled some tight spells.

West Indies, meanwhile, needs to lift its game several notches, and experienced stars such as captain Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin need to ensure they step up and also bring out the best in the younger players.