As the cricketing world turns its gaze towards the home World Cup, the Indian women`s team finds itself navigating a complex strategic dilemma. What initially appeared to be a formidable and settled top-order is now revealing a layered strike-rate puzzle, demanding immediate attention and astute tactical adjustments. The honeymoon period, it seems, has concluded, and the path to glory requires more than just consistent contributions; it demands consistent intent.
The Rise and the Reality: A Dual Narrative
The journey began auspiciously. With the World Cup on the horizon, India unearthed Pratika Rawal to open alongside the prolific Smriti Mandhana, a partnership that, for a time, appeared golden. Her immediate impact, coupled with Harleen Deol solidifying the crucial No. 3 spot – a position that had seen considerable churn since Mithali Raj`s retirement – offered a semblance of stability. With Captain Harmanpreet Kaur at No. 4 and Jemimah Rodrigues at No. 5, the top-five looked formidable on paper, a stark contrast to the previous T20 World Cup`s experimental approach.
Against less challenging opponents like West Indies and Ireland, Rawal and Deol flourished, each notching maiden ODI centuries and a string of consistent scores. The numbers were indeed striking: Rawal and Mandhana formed an opening partnership that scored at an exceptional 6.05 runs per over in 19 ODIs, a rate unparalleled among pairs with over 1000 partnership runs in Women`s ODIs. Yet, these impressive statistics often came in familiar conditions against forgiving bowling attacks, masking underlying vulnerabilities that tougher assignments would soon expose.
The Mandhana Dependency: A Double-Edged Sword
The cracks began to show when India faced stronger teams – England in their backyard and reigning champions Australia at home. While Mandhana`s consistency in batting deep into innings has been commendable, expecting her to perpetually serve as both anchor and aggressor is a luxury India cannot always afford. This over-reliance becomes glaringly evident whenever she departs early. The run rate, which might have been motoring at over 6 RPO with Mandhana and Rawal, dramatically slows to just 4.31 when Rawal and Deol are left to rebuild. Conversely, if Rawal falls first, the Mandhana-Deol pairing strikes at a robust 6.39 RPO, indicating Mandhana`s capacity to accelerate even through the middle overs.
Consider the data from Rawal’s debut:
| Batter Pair | Innings | Runs | Balls Faced | Average | Run-rate | 100/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rawal-Deol | 11 | 425 | 591 | 42.5 | 4.31 | 0/4 |
| Mandhana-Deol | 7 | 338 | 317 | 48.28 | 6.39 | 1/2 |
India`s Second-Wicket Partnerships Since Rawal`s Debut
This stark contrast highlights the critical issue: a significant slowdown ensues when Mandhana isn`t dictating terms. Against Australia in a recent ODI opener, a strong 114-run opening stand at 5.3 RPO was squandered as Deol and Rawal managed only 28 runs off 53 balls at a glacial 3.16. India failed to capitalize on a solid platform, ultimately falling short of a competitive total.
Deol`s Delayed Acceleration and Rawal`s Spin Snarl
The high dot-ball consumption is a prevalent criticism, even for Mandhana, but her ability to compensate with big shots often makes it pardonable. This isn`t always the case for her partners. While patience is a virtue for a No. 3 batter, Deol`s “safety-first” approach frequently proves counterproductive. Her slow-burn starts, characterized by a strike rate of 62.5 in the first 30 balls faced (with a staggering 64.1% dot-ball percentage), transfer undue pressure to the middle order. In 15 of her 22 innings since comeback, her inability to swiftly shift gears has stalled momentum, leading to arduous phases of play.
Deol`s innings progression since comeback:
| Balls | Innings | Runs | Balls Faced | Run-rate | Strike-rate | Dismissals | Dot% | Boundary% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30 | 22 | 345 | 552 | 3.75 | 62.5 | 7 | 64.1 | 7.24 |
| 31-60 | 15 | 294 | 325 | 5.42 | 90.46 | 8 | 45.5 | 9.84 |
| 61-90 | 7 | 99 | 83 | 7.15 | 119.27 | 5 | 33.7 | 14.45 |
| 91-120 | 1 | 30 | 13 | 13.84 | 230.76 | 1 | 30.7 | 53.84 |
Harleen Deol`s Innings Progression
Rawal, despite her promising start, has exhibited a concerning vulnerability against quality spin bowling in the middle overs. Her cautious approach against slower bowlers not only hampers acceleration but also stifles strike rotation, allowing opposition captains to dictate the tempo and build pressure. Her strike rate against spin is a modest 78.4, with a dot-ball percentage of 52.8% and a boundary percentage of just 8.6%. Against left-arm spin, these figures plummet further, making her a prime target for strategic exploitation. She has been dismissed by left-arm spinners eight times in 19 games, including twice in the ongoing World Cup.
Rawal`s performance split by bowling type:
| Bowling | Innings | Runs | Balls Faced | Run-rate | Strike-rate | Dismissals | Dot% | Boundary% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | 19 | 507 | 577 | 5.27 | 87.86 | 4 | 48.7 | 11.61 |
| Spin | 16 | 363 | 463 | 4.7 | 78.4 | 14 | 52.8 | 8.6 |
Pratika Rawal`s Batting Against Pace vs. Spin
The World Cup Crucible: Time for Solutions
Twice already in the tournament, Mandhana`s early departure has combined with Deol`s slow-starting patterns and Rawal`s tentativeness against spin to create critical bottlenecks. Opponent captains, astute as they are, are quickly identifying and exploiting this obvious matchup tactic. Sri Lanka employed Inoka Ranaweera, and Pakistan deployed Sadia Iqbal to great effect, leading to collapses that saw India slip to precarious positions before the lower order had to bail them out. While this proved sufficient against relatively weaker opponents, propelling India to the top of the table, the upcoming daunting stretch of games against the very teams that dashed their 2022 World Cup hopes demands more.
The honeymoon phase is definitively over. As India enters the more challenging phase of their home World Cup campaign, accountability must align with expectations. If the management is steadfast in backing what it considers a “settled” top-five, then concrete tactical and/or technical tweaks are imperative. Consistency and intent need not be mutually exclusive; in fact, at the top of the order in modern ODI cricket, they are inseparable. The path forward requires a clear strategy to inject dynamism and resilience into the top order, ensuring that India`s World Cup aspirations are built on a foundation stronger than mere wishful thinking.
Dominic Ashworth 
Rupert Fairfax