Women's T20 World Cup 2024 | 'India must relook at combinations for WC': Anjum Chopra

Harmanpreet Kaur. Pic/AFP; (right) Anjum Chopra. File pic

Harmanpreet Kaur has the range of shots needed to control a game and should bat at No 3 as India should look at rejigging its combination heading into the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, said former captain Anjum Chopra on Wednesday.

The stylish batter of yesteryears is also worried about the bowling attack not being penetrative enough in crunch games ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. Chopra said while there are many options for India at No 3, skipper Kaur should not deprive herself of longer batting hauls. "I've always felt that Harman should play at No 3. I've told her also. But of course, depending upon the scenario, and, every player's comfort is (also) there," Chopra told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"She is one of those players, who can control the game and will have more time, rather than coming in later and then swinging her bat. Why reduce the number of deliveries?," she said. Chopra blamed lack of challenge for the Indian team until the Asia Cup final as the reason behind loss in the final. "Even if they have won this Asia Cup, it would have been like 'oh, we are a better team'. But because they didn't, they got a wake-up call and I am hoping it is a wake-up call. Not in a bad way but in a good way," she said. "They were not challenged and whenever they were, it was okay, it wasn't like digging in deep to come out victorious. When Sri Lanka posed a challenge to them, especially after winning against Pakistan (in the semifinal), they were a team on a high."

"Once (Vishmi) Gunaratne was run out in confusion with (Chamari) Athapaththu and then the second wicket fell, I thought they are missing on the barrel. But for Sri Lanka to bounce out of that situation and win convincingly, that was a high," she continued. Pointing at Sri Lanka's recent improvement, Chopra said India has a lot to work upon as a team. "We lost 2-1 to England. We lost 2-1 to Australia. We were challenged by South Africa. When we go to the Asia Cup, there are other teams also challenging us," she said. "Sri Lanka didn't even qualify for the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand because they didn't have any cricket for two-and-a-half years during Covid. But look where they are now." She had a simple question for one and all. Has Harmanpreet and her band improved as a team? The answer is a mixed one. "Has our team shown that kind of advancement and improvement? Yes, to a certain extent. But are we still plugging in those gaps whereby we are not conceding defeat?," she questioned. "The reason why we lost the Asia Cup final (was) because we are still not plugging those gaps," she said.

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"Certain decisions are obviously not favorable. Certain resources that we have at the disposal are not favourable. You have to make do with what you have, which is probably not quite there right now to become world leaders," she said. Chopra cited bowling as one of India's biggest concern at the moment. "Look, we have a Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami (in men's team). When we have these bowlers around, we boast of a bowling lineup like no one in this world and this wasn't achieved overnight," she said. "I'm not saying that overnight we will have these kind of quality bowlers in the women's team as well. We are playing with only five bowlers. Now that one bowler has a bad day, we are challenged," she said. Bowling options in India are limited, she accepted. "Maybe we don't have the options. Maybe because players are injured, they are not there. Maybe the skill level has dropped for all those players who are injured or whether they've dropped off the radar. We do have a good bowling line-up but we don't have a penetrative bowling line-up," she said.

Chopra also questioned the absence of frontline India players from the ongoing series against Australia 'A', citing the presence of Tahlia McGrath. "We've not done well in Australia. India A is playing there. Meghana Singh is playing, who is not considered (for selection) even when she's around Indian team. (Then) why is she playing there?" she said. "Why is Titas Sadhu not a part of this? Why is Sobhana Asha not a part of India A? I thought Jemimah Rodrigues should have been there in this team playing in Australia. Why is she not there? "(Those who have) just stepped out of the South African series and have not gone for 'The Hundred'. Tahlia McGrath is leading Australia, why is no India current India player a part of that?" "We need to do a bit of our combination reassessment again and hope that a few players come into this lineup as options. We definitely need all-rounders, more bowling options and we definitely need agile fielders as well," she said.

(With agency inputs)