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India women team’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur is going through a rough patch in international cricket. As Harmanpreet’s ordinary run in 50-over cricket continues, former Indian captain Diana Edulji has said that the veteran “can’t survive in the team” on the basis of her 171-run knock against Australia in the semi-final of World Cup 2017.
Harmanpreet has not been in the best of forms of late despite an award-winning Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season last year. The 32-year-old has scored just two half-centuries since the legendary knock. Last year, she scored 196 runs from seven innings at an average of 32.67 including just one half-century. In the ongoing tour of New Zealand which is also serving as final preparations of the mega event, the hard-hitting batter has registered 10-run knock in each of the ODI.
"If you are going with the same yardstick which was used to drop Jemimah Rodrigues, what the coach (Ramesh Powar) had mentioned, the same yardstick should be applied to Harmanpreet," Edulji told PTI.
"I am very disappointed with her. She was my favourite player but you can't survive on that one innings (171 against Australia in 2017). She is only one innings away from a big knock but the effort has to be there. I will be the happiest if she proves me wrong. I just want the team to win the World Cup,” she added.
Edulji also believes that her below par performances will also make opener Smriti Mandhana as frontrunner for the captaincy role after Mithali Raj hangs her boots. She even named Harmanpreet’s replacement in the middle-order.
"Even on captaincy front, Smriti is the front runner for all formats after Mithali as Harman is not performing. I wouldn't mind dropping her for the next game. Sneh Rana is a good replacement for her," the 66-year-old explained.
In addition, Edulji is not happy with India’s teenage sensation Shafali Verma. The young opener has registered scores of 12 and 24 in first two ODIs on Kiwi soil. She wants to see Shafali getting replaced by S Meghana as Mandhana returns to the side after completing her quarantine. Meghana made an impressive debut by scoring 50-ball 49 in the previous game.
"Shafali needs a little rap on the knuckle, she needs proper grooming. She is moving towards the square leg and playing. There is no stillness in her stance. I can't understand why.
"When she was scoring, there wasn't this type of (trigger) movement. Bowlers have found her out and that is why she is moving away from the stumps to play her strokes. But you have to respect the bowlers at this level," Edulji pointed out.
Teen sensation Shafali averages 25 in eight games since making her debut in England last year. Two years into international cricket, the bowlers have found out the weakness in her game which is not allowing her to play freely. Edulji wants to work on her game too.
"Shafali needs a little rap on the knuckle, she needs proper grooming. She is moving towards the square leg and playing. There is no stillness in her stance. I can't understand why.
"When she was scoring, there wasn't this type of (trigger) movement. Bowlers have found her out and that is why she is moving away from the stumps to play her strokes. But you have to respect the bowlers at this level," said Edulji.
After losing first two ODIs, Mithali-led India will have a last chance to stay alive in the five-match series on February 18. As India failed to defend 271-run target in the previous game, the former left-arm spinner suggested a few changes Indian spinners can forced New Zealand batters make mistakes.
"New Zealand batters are very good square of the wicket. Our spinners are not making them play on the front foot enough. They are very good on the back foot. Keep long on and long off, flight the ball more and make them come forward.
"270 was a good score to defend and we should have defended. The fielding was sloppy too," she added.
