T20 World Cup: India's preparations for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup were reinforced when several squad members capitalised on their chances in a strong warm-up win against the West Indies and stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana expressed satisfaction with the increasing competition within the team while also stating that the fringe players finding their mojo was a positive sign.
With regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur absent from the fixture, Mandhana led the team and played a key role at the top of the order, striking a brisk 39 from 23 deliveries as India posted a challenging total before securing a 26-run win in Cardiff.
However, it was the performances of players fighting for spots in the playing XI that drew the most attention. Middle-order batter Bharti Fulmali produced an unbeaten 56 off 40 balls, while bowlers Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav combined to claim seven wickets and derail the West Indies’ chase.
Mandhana said the contributions from players who have had limited opportunities in recent months could only strengthen India's World Cup campaign.
"(It was) really important. They have not got a lot of game time coming here in England. Radha, Shrey (Shreyanka) and Bharti all three had a brilliant game and it’s a good headache to have ahead of the World Cup. It's very important for the 15 (player squad) to be in good nick because it always puts everyone else under pressure as well,” Mandhana said after the match.
India entered the contest looking to fine-tune combinations ahead of their tournament opener and used the match to test the depth of their squad. The response from those given extended opportunities is likely to provide selectors with plenty to consider in the coming days.
After an explosive start from Mandhana and Shafali Verma, India briefly lost momentum through the middle overs before Fulmali's composed innings ensured the team finished strongly and set the West Indies a target of 180. Mandhana felt the outing served an important purpose beyond the result itself, particularly for batters lower down the order who had not spent much time at the crease recently.
"It was especially important for the middle order to bat and I think we did really well. I think all the bowlers were brilliant to restrict them to 150,” she added.
The bowling unit then supported the batting effort with a disciplined performance. Radha's crucial spell during the middle overs fractured the West Indies' chase, while Patil took four wickets, helping India secure a comfortable win.
"It was especially important for the middle order to bat and I think we did really well. I think all the bowlers were brilliant to restrict them to 150,” she added.
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India will continue preparations on Wednesday with another high-profile warm-up match against hosts England, while the West Indies will aim to regroup before their last practice game against Australia.