Cricket

India Women tour of New Zealand 2022

India's veteran skipper Mithali Raj has once again proved her excellence with the bat as she struck a sensational half ton against New Zealand in the second ODI match at Queenstown Even Centre on Tuesday (February 15). Mithali stood tall with an unbeaten 66 to guide India to their highest ODI score (270/6) against New Zealand. The 39-year-old batter, who has always shown sheer consistency with the bat also demolished many records.&nbsp; With her 61st ODI half century, she has now surpassed the likes of former India's men's cricket skippers MS Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin in terms of runs against New Zealand while captaining India. She has claimed a record for scoring most runs by any Indian captain against New Zealand as she has amassed a total of 739 runs. Meanwhile, Dhoni has been upstaged to second spot with 723 runs followed by Azharuddin with 678 runs.&nbsp;She also claimed a record of scoring most fifties by Indian skippers against New Zealand in ODIs which is 7. Azharuddin and Dhoni has six half tons each.&nbsp;If there was a competition for the most consistent batter in the world of women’s cricket, then there is seldom any doubt that the winner would have been none other than India’s ODI and Test captain Mithali Raj.Coming in at number four, she put her head down and crafted an unbeaten 66 off 81 balls, including just the three boundaries, which indicates that she ran well between the wickets.&nbsp;This was her second half-century in the series, having registered one in the first ODI on February 12. Raj’s innings of 66 helped India post a challenging score of 270/6 in 50 overs, which is team India’s highest total against New Zealand in women’s ODIs. India’s previous best against the White Ferns was 265-7 in 2017 at Derby.&nbsp;Mithali Raj stitched a 108-run partnership with Richa Ghosh for the fourth wicket, which is the first ever hundred-run partnership by an Indian pair for fourth or lower wickets in women’s international cricket in New Zealand. This partnership of 108 runs is the joint highest fourth wicket partnership for India in women’s ODIs. The 39-year old right handed batter also completed 7500 ODI runs, a feat achieved by nobody else in the history of women’s ODI cricket.&nbsp;Out of the 7516 runs which she has, 5030 runs have come as a captain. She became the first captain to muster 5000+ runs as ODI captain in women’s cricket. Raj has been captaining India since 2004.The prolific batter has been dominating women’s cricket for more than 22 years and out of these 22 years, she has averaged 50+ for 13 years.&nbsp;Mithali-Richa record partnershipMithali Raj and Richa Ghosh share the first century partnership in international cricket (men/women) where one player debuted before the other was born. Mithali debuted in 1999 while Richa was born in 2003.

india-women-tour-of-new-zealand-9-feb-2022

IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: Mithali Raj belts brilliant half century, bulldozes Dhoni, Azharuddin's records

New Zealand's Amelia Kerr walloped a sensational century to hand Mithali-led India thier back to back defeat in second ODI of the five-match series. While chasing India's competitive target of 271, Amelia led from the front with her rocking 119 off 135 to cruise Black Caps to a three-wicket victory with six balls to spare. Deepti Sharma launched a fightback with an impressive spell of 4/52 but failed to save India from blushes as New Zealand are now 2-0 ahead in the ODI series.&nbsp;Maddy Green also played an instrumental role in Kiwis' victory with a sedate knock of 52 of 61 while no other batter really clicked for them.&nbsp;&nbsp;India tried their best to get hold of the situation but couldn't thwart the New Zealand side to canter to the victory. There was a clutch of performers from Indian side who badly missed the services of veteran bowler Jhulan Goswami.&nbsp;However, if there was a competition for the most consistent batter in the world of women’s cricket, then there is seldom any doubt that the winner would have been none other than India’s ODI and Test captain Mithali Raj.Coming in at number four, she put her head down and crafted an unbeaten 66 off 81 balls, including just the three boundaries, which indicates that she ran well between the wickets.&nbsp;This was her second half-century in the series, having registered one in the first ODI on February 12. Raj’s innings of 66 helped India post a challenging score of 270/6 in 50 overs, which is team India’s highest total against New Zealand in women’s ODIs. India’s previous best against the White Ferns was 265/7 in 2017 at Derby.&nbsp;With her 61st ODI half century, Mithali has now surpassed the likes of former India's men's cricket skippers MS Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin in terms of runs against New Zealand while captaining India. She has claimed a record for scoring most runs by any Indian captain against New Zealand as she has amassed a total of 739 runs. Meanwhile, Dhoni has been upstaged to second spot with 723 runs followed by Azharuddin with 678 runs.&nbsp;Mithali Raj stitched a 108-run partnership with Richa Ghosh (65 off 64) for the fourth wicket, which is the first ever hundred-run partnership by an Indian pair for fourth or lower wickets in women’s international cricket in New Zealand. This partnership of 108 runs is the joint highest fourth wicket partnership for India in women’s ODIs.&nbsp;Sabbhineni Meghana also made a significant contribution with a 50-ball 49 which was studded with seven fours to stitch 61 runs for the opening wicket with Shafali Varma (24), who, however, failed to convert a good start yet again.&nbsp;Yastika Bhatia, who had made 41 in the first match, contributed 31 from 38 balls this time as the Indian top-order, except for vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, gave a good account of itself.&nbsp;Kaur continued her woeful form as she could only score 10 runs off 18 balls, the same score as in the first match.For New Zealand, Sophie Devine was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets for 42 runs. &nbsp;

IND vs NZ: Amelia Kerr's century piles misery on India in 2nd ODI despite Mithali, Deepti & Richa's top show

India's star opener Smriti Mandhana completed her quarantine and left for Queenstown to join the Women in Blue for the rest of the three ODI matches against New Zealand.&nbsp;Mandhana took to Instagram on Tuesday (February 15) to make this announcement. SheMandhana had missed the one-off T20 International and the two ODIs against New Zealand as she was in extended Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) along with two other players - pacers Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh.&nbsp;Renuka is already out of quarantine while Meghna also came out of MIQ on Tuesday (February 15). However, both Mandhana and Meghna may not be available for the third ODI here on Friday on fitness grounds as they have been in quarantine for long."Finally out of quarantine!! Can't wait to get back with the team," the 25-year-old Mandhana wrote on her Instagram handle, along with a picture of her with her luggage.&nbsp;In her absence, India had lost the one-off T20 International and the first two ODIs.Earlier, after the one-off T20I, batter Yastika Bhatia had informed about the stay in (Mandotory Isolation in Quarantine facility) MIQ of Mandhana, Meghana Singh and Renuka Singh.&nbsp;The Indian team had undergone a 10-day MIQ in Christchurch after its arrival in New Zealand. The team had undergone a week of hard quarantine in Mumbai before its departure on January 24.&nbsp;Meanwhile, New Zealand's Amelia Kerr walloped a sensational century to hand Mithali-led India thier back to back defeat in second ODI of the five-match series which was played on Tuesday. While chasing India's competitive target of 271, Amelia led from the front with her rocking 119 off 135 to cruise Black Caps to a three-wicket victory with six balls to spare. Deepti Sharma launched a fightback with an impressive spell of 4/52 but failed to save India from blushes as New Zealand are now 2-0 ahead in the ODI series. Maddy Green also played an instrumental role in Kiwis' victory with a sedate knock of 52 of 61 while no other batter really clicked for them.&nbsp; For India, coming in at number four, Mithali Raj put her head down and crafted an unbeaten 66 off 81 balls. This was her second half-century in the series, having registered one in the first ODI on February 12. Raj’s innings of 66 helped India post a challenging score of 270/6 in 50 overs, which is team India’s highest total against New Zealand in women’s ODIs. India’s previous best against the White Ferns was 265/7 in 2017 at Derby.&nbsp;Mithali Raj stitched a 108-run partnership with Richa Ghosh (65 off 64) for the fourth wicket, which is the first ever hundred-run partnership by an Indian pair for fourth or lower wickets in women’s international cricket in New Zealand. This partnership of 108 runs is the joint highest fourth wicket partnership for India in women’s ODIs. Sabbhineni Meghana also made a significant contribution with a 50-ball 49 which was studded with seven fours to stitch 61 runs for the opening wicket with Shafali Varma (24), who, however, failed to convert a good start yet again.Yastika Bhatia, who had made 41 in the first match, contributed 31 from 38 balls this time as the Indian top-order, except for vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, gave a good account of itself. Kaur continued her woeful form as she could only score 10 runs off 18 balls, the same score as in the first match.For New Zealand, Sophie Devine was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets for 42 runs.

Smriti Mandhana out of quarantine, to be available for remainder of WODI series against NZ

India's T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who is going through the nadir of her career, once again failed to deliver with the willow in the third ODI against New Zealand which they lost by three wickets on Friday (February 18). It's not new for the unfortunate middle-order batter to get dismissed cheaply nowadays, but the way she got out in the third ODI doubled up her misery. Harmanpreet was caught napping after playing a shot and had to pay the price with her wicket.The bizzare incident took place in the 28th over with India in a strong position at 166/3. Harmanpreet, who was batting on 13, came down the track to a delivery from Frances Mackay and played a firm push that went straight back to the bowler's hand. Subsequently she just stood there, instead of getting back into the crease.&nbsp;Frances, meanwhile, threw the ball back immediately to the wicketkeeper who whipped the bails off in a flash. Harmanpreet belatedly put in a dive but it was already too late as replays showed that she had failed to get back in, in time. The misfiring Harmanpreet have only scored 33 runs in the three ODIs so far as she was dismissed at the score of 10 in both the previous two matches.&nbsp;India had lost the first two ODIs by 62 runs and three wickets, respectively, after suffering a 18-run defeat in the lone T20I.After New Zealand won the toss, they invited India to bat first. Young openers Meghana (61) and Verma (51) gave India a flying start with a stand of 100 in 13 overs, but the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals later to be all out for 279 in 49.3 overs.In reply, New Zealand did not have a good start as they suffered two early blows. But then, Amy and Amelia Karr built a 103 runs partnership in the middle and helped their team to win the game.&nbsp;Earlier, former India captain Diana Edulji said that Harmanpreet “can’t survive in the team” on the 171 she scored in the 2017 World Cup and it is time to drop her starting with the third ODI against New Zealand.&nbsp;Harmanpreet has made only two 50 plus scores since the 2017 World Cup in England where India reached the final. The 32-year-old had fitness issues last year but after an impressive WBBL, she was expected to replicate that performance at the highest level.She is yet to fire in the bilateral rubber against New Zealand with India staring at another series defeat.&nbsp;“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 said.&nbsp;“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 further added.

IND vs NZ WODI: Harmanpreet dismissed in strange fashion against White Ferns to continue form slump

As India begin their preparations for the upcoming Women’s World Cup 2022, they will warm-up with one-off T20I against New Zealand at John Davies Oval, Queenstown on February 9. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will have a point to prove as they have not beaten New Zealand in a T20I in their backyard.&nbsp;&nbsp;The last time India played a T20I series in New Zealand, they were whitewashed in the three-T20I series. In the 2019 tour, while the first clash was a one-sided contest, the other two went right down to the wire. Overall, India have played 12 T20Is against New Zealand and emerged victorious on four occasions.&nbsp;India are missing their best performer against New Zealand with the bat in the one-off T20I. Jemimah Rodrigues has scored 201 runs from five games at an average of 40.20 including two fifties. Skipper Harmanpreet and opener Smriti Mandhana are not far behind as they have 198 and 197 runs respectively against White Ferns in the format.&nbsp;The last time India faced New Zealand was in T20 World Cup 2020 where they won by a narrow margin of three runs. Shafali Verma was the top run-scorer for India with 46 runs. The no.1 T20I batter will be a key player for India in the one-off T20I and the five-ODI series. It will be interesting to see if Richa Ghosh gets a chance in the encounter ahead of Taniya Bhatia. The wicketkeeper-batter Ghosh is a good hitter and contribute with cameos in the middle order. Yastika Bhatia is another future prospect who could feature in the game. Yastika did not have a fruitful debut T20I series against Australia last year where she scored just 23 runs from two games.&nbsp;&nbsp;Indian bowlers need to be wary of New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine who is capable of hitting big boundaries. Batting lower in the order, Amelia Kerr can be a dangerous batter in slog overs. In the last T20I, she played a quickfire unbeaten 34-run cameo but could not see her team through.&nbsp;&nbsp;India squad: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Ekta Bisht, Sneh Rana, Sabbhineni Meghana, Meghna Singh, Taniya Bhatia, Simran Bahadur&nbsp;New Zealand squad: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine (c), Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Katey Martin (wk), Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Fran Jonas, Rosemary Mair, Lauren Down, Frances Mackay

INDW vs NZW 1st T20I: India search for maiden T20I win on New Zealand soil after 2019 whitewash

India are still searching for their first win on New Zealand tour. Mithali Raj-led India have put up big scores in the previous two ODIs but have not been able to defend the total. Amelia Kerr has been a major threat for India in the ODI series and even dismissing her has not guaranteed an Indian win on Kiwi soil.&nbsp;&nbsp;One major positive for India is that Smriti Mandhana will be back into the side. Mandhana has missed the only T20I and three ODIs on the tour so far. However, in her absence, India have done fairly well in the batting department posting scores above 270 in the previous two games. With series already lost, it is also possible that an out-of-form Harmanpreet Kaur makes way for Sabbhineni Meghana, who has impressed so far in her debut series. Harmanpreet has been under fire of late over her inability to score runs since return from injury.&nbsp;India will need to work on getting wickets in the middle overs and their death bowling which has been far from impressive so far. Even an experienced Jhulan Goswami could not stop the White Ferns from dominating run chases in their backyard. It will be interesting to see what changes India make in the bowling department or tactics to tackle the Kiwi middle-order.&nbsp;Rain is expected to play spoilsport at John Davies Oval, Queenstown. So far, we have seen clear skies in Queenstown but there is a possibility that Duckworth-Lewis Stern (DLS) method will come into play on February 22.&nbsp;India desperately need a win in their bag ahead of World Cup 2022 starting next month. India will begin their World Cup campaign with a high-voltage contest against Pakistan. Mithali-led India need some confidence going into the clash against the arch-rivals.&nbsp;&nbsp;SquadsNew Zealand Women: Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Sophie Devine (c), Brooke Halliday, Katey Martin (wk), Hayley Jensen, Lea Tahuhu, Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Lauren Down, Fran Jonas, Frances Mackay, Rosemary MairIndia Women: Sabbhineni Meghana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Smriti Mandhana, Meghna Singh, Taniya Bhatia, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana

INDW vs NZW 4th ODI Preview: Amidst rain threat, another chance for Harmanpreet to show her worth ahead of World Cup 2022

Amelia Kerr displayed an top-notch all-round show as New Zealand piled misery on India with 63-run victory in the fourth ODI match on Tuesday (February 22). Even Richa Ghosh's sensational 52-run knock couldn't save India from their fourth consecutive defeat in five-match ODI series.&nbsp;Amelia smashed 68 off mere 33 balls with the help of 11 fours and 1 six as the White Ferns posted 191/5 against India. Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine also played useful innings of 41 and 32 as the White Ferns posted a score of more than the 190-run mark in the rain delayed match that saw the game reduced to a 20-over shootout.&nbsp;In reply, India could only manage to score 128 before going down to New Zealand as Richa remained the lone performer for the Women in Blue with a splendid 52 off 29. With this she recorded the fastest fifty by an Indian batter in women's ODI cricket. She brought up her fifty off just 26 balls with the help of four boundaries and four sixes.&nbsp; Amelia shone with the ball too where she scalped 3/30 in a spell of 3.5 overs to emerge the Player of the Match.&nbsp;New Zealand started on a rousing note with a 53-run opening stand between Sophie Devine (32 of 24 balls) and Suzie Bates (41 off 26 balls).Once the platform was laid, Amelia and Amy Satterthwaite (32 off 16 balls) literally pummelled the Indian bowling.The bowling performance of the Indians seemed to have nose-dived with each passing game and it was the worst on Tuesday where only Rajeshwari Gayakwad (4-0-26-1) looked the part.&nbsp;Meghna Singh (1/45 in 4 overs) and Deepti Sharma (1/49 in 4 overs) were two bowlers taken to the cleaners by Amelia who had 11 fours and a six in her kitty.&nbsp;A chase of 192 was always going to be a tough ask even though the out of form Harmanpreet Kaur was dropped from the playing eleven.Smriti Mandhana very understandably was out of rhythm after a long and hard quarantine and youngsters Shafali Verma (0) and Yastika Bhatia (0) were out in quick succession.&nbsp;By the fifth over India were already reduced to 19/4.Richa and skipper Mithali Raj (30 off 28 ) added 67 runs but it was in a lost cause as wickets fell at regular interval.Amelia's sister Jess also got two wickets upfront while Francis Mackay and Heley Jensen shared the spoils with two and three wickets respectively.The only time India had something to cheer about was when Richa clobbered the White Ferns bowlers for four huge sixes and four boundaries while Mithali played the second fiddle.&nbsp;Once Richa was gone, the stomach for fight wasn't evident in others as six wickets fell for 32 runs. Things are not looking good at all for the Mithali-led India with only two weeks left for the World Cup to start.

IND vs NZ WODI: New Zealand hand India 4th consecutive ODI defeat despite Richa's fastest ODI fifty

India’s preparations for the upcoming Women’s World Cup 2022 faced a big blow after they suffered a defeat by 18 runs against New Zealand in the one-off T20I match, played in Queenstown, on February 9. &nbsp;&nbsp;Batting collapseA poor batting display from the Indian batting saw the women’s team lose five wickets scoring just 35 runs while chasing a target of 156 runs.&nbsp;Batting first, the hosts registered a formidable total of 155/5 in 20 overs. New Zealand got a good start after their openers- Suzie Bates (36 runs off 34 balls) and skipper Sophie Devine (31 runs off 23 balls), scored a solid opening partnership of 60 runs. India’s Deepti Sharma got the crucial breakthrough after she managed to dismiss skipper Devine in the 8th over of the match.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later, Maddy Green (26 runs off 20 balls) and Lea Tahuhu (27 runs off 14 balls) showed fine batting skills to help their team in reaching a defendable total.&nbsp;&nbsp;For India, Deepti and medium pacer Pooja Vastrakar picked up two wickets each. Left-arm bowler, Rajeshwari Gayakwad bagged the other wicktet.&nbsp;&nbsp;The run chaseIn reply, India seemed to start the run chase in a convincing manner but in the 7th over of the innings they lost their first wicket after Yastika Bhatia was sent back to the dressing room after scoring 26 runs off 26 balls. Sabbhineni Meghana tried to script victory for her team but her 37 runs off 30 balls eventually turned out to be futile.&nbsp;&nbsp;At one point, Indian team were at 101/3 and looked very much in the game to win it but a dismal batting collapse later saw the visitors lose five wickets within a span of just 35 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;For New Zealand, their bowlers- Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr and Hayley Jensen picked up two wickets each. Tahuhu and Davine bagged one wicket each.&nbsp;Later, India’s Simran Bahadur hit two boundaries to score 10 runs off 6 balls but her efforts went in vain as her team eventually could reach a total of 137 runs losing 8 wickets in 20 overs and face a defeat by 18 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;New Zealand’s Tahuhu received the Player of the Match award for her match-winning all-round efforts. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Indian women's team lose 5 wickets in just 35 runs, suffer 18-run defeat against New Zealand in only T20I

After losing the first two ODIs against New Zealand women’s team, the Mithali Raj-led Indian women’s team were determined to win the third ODI of the five-match ODI series and bounce back convincingly.&nbsp;But in reality, that did not happen as the visitors lost the third ODI match by 3 wickets. The third game of the five-match ODI series was played on February 18 (Friday), at the John Davies Oval, Queenstown.&nbsp;Now Indian team will have to play the remaining two matches without any hope of clinching the ODI series.&nbsp;&nbsp;The deciding momentThe thrilling match was decided in the final over of the match as the hosts needed 6 runs to win from 6 balls. India’s Deepti Sharma was bowling and New Zealand’s Lauren Down was on strike. But Down needed just one ball to seal the victory as she smashed a six off the first ball to secure a 3-wicket victory.&nbsp;Earlier, batting first, Indian team started the match on a positive note after their opening batters- Sabbhineni Meghana (61 runs off 41 balls) and Shafali Verma (51 runs off 57 balls), registered a solid partnership of 100 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Their opening partnership was broken after New Zealand bowler Rosemary Mair dismissed Meghana in the 13th over of the innings. Later, Deepti Sharma scored 69 runs (not out) to help her side in reaching a total of 279 runs.&nbsp;A dismal batting order collapse saw the Indian team lose their last five batters within a span of just 68 runs. For New Zealand, their bowlers- Hannah Rowe and Rosemary Mair picked up two wickets each.&nbsp;The run-chaseIn reply, India's Jhulan Goswami started the bowling on a positive note after she dismissed both the New Zealand openers- Suzie Bates (5) and skipper Sophie Davine (0), within the first three overs.&nbsp;But later, Amelia Kerr (67 runs off 80 balls) and Amy Satterthwaite (59 runs off 76 deliveries) notched a solid partnership to avert the initial danger caused by the Indian bowling attack. But Goswami again appeared to be a key figure after she claimed her third wicket of the match by scalping the vital wicket of Satterthwaite.&nbsp;&nbsp;But the visitors could not make full use of this breakthrough as New Zealand batters- Down (64 not out off 52 balls) and wicketkeeper Katey Martin (35 runs off 37 balls) scored a terrific partnersihp of 76 runs off 69 balls to help their side in recovering from 171/6 to 247/7.&nbsp;&nbsp;Eventually, New Zealand team secured the victory losing 7 wickets and with 5 balls remaining.

IND vs NZ: Despite three half-centuries, Mithali Raj-led Indian team loses third ODI by 3 wickets against New Zealand

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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;&nbsp;"270 was a good score to defend and we should have defended. The fielding was sloppy too," she added.

Former Indian cricketer feels Harmanpreet Kaur 'can't survive in the team' on the basis of 56-month-old 171-run knock, suggests replacement

As Mithali Raj-led India hope to do one better than the previous edition of World Cup, their preparations have not been ideal. After the loss in one-off T20I, India have lost four consecutive ODIs in New Zealand. While the batting has impressed in a couple of games, their bowling has been far from impressive to an extent that Mithali has said that it is a concern going into the mega event.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Definitely have been trying a few combinations with the seam and spin attack. Bowling attack is a concern going into the World Cup," Mithali said at post-match presentation ceremony.&nbsp;"We are adapting to the conditions and to the open ground and the breeze. We have not been very consistent in our bowling spells. I was just looking at Richa's shots and she is a talented and exciting player for the future for India," the veteran added.&nbsp;In the rain-curtailed 20 overs per side game on February 22 at John Davies Oval, Queenstown, Indian bowlers conceded 191 runs after Mithali won the toss and elected to field first. Two of Indian bowlers leaked more than 40 runs.&nbsp;Mithali was impressed with the performance of wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh in the unsuccessful run chase. Richa scored 52 runs from 29 deliveries including four fours and as many sixes. She reached her half-century from 26 deliveries which is the fastest fifty by an Indian batter in women ODIs. She walked in to bat when India had lost four wickets for 19 runs in the run chase.&nbsp;The 39-year-old also backed her most experienced campaigner, Jhulan Goswami, who will be playing her last World Cup.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Jhulan Goswami was by my side in 2005 and has been an ever-present member of the Indian team in all those years since, she has amassed 240 wickets in ODIs, 60 more than anyone else and luckily shows no signs of slowing down,” she wrote in her column for the ICC.&nbsp;"We both so badly want to win an ICC World title before we call it a day!&nbsp;&nbsp;"We have, of course, been joined by so many talented youngsters in recent years. There is huge talent in India and I am sure the next crop of players is already inspiring thousands and thousands of girls out there to pick up the bat or ball," she further wrote.

‘Bowling attack is concern going into World Cup,’ says Mithali Raj after 4 ODI losses in a row

Dented India will look to bounce back in the second women's ODI match against New Zealand on Tuesday (February 15). Mithali-led side will be eager to address their batting and fielding woes which resulted in 62-run defeat in the first ODI.&nbsp;India looked in all sorts of bother as nothing worked for India in the first ODI with the bowlers allowing the hosts to pile on 275 before the batters, except for skipper Mithali, flopped to be all out for 213 and lose the match by 62 runs. Mithali was virtually the lone warrior with a well-crafted 59 while rookie Yastika Bhatia made 41.&nbsp;Rest of the batting disappointed, as all the other batters, including vice captain Harmanpreet Kuar (10 off 22 balls), failed to make any significant contribution in the face of a clinical bowling show from New Zealand led by Jesse Kerr (4/35).The Indians' cause was not helped by the absence of senior opener Smriti Mandhana who missed the first ODI due to extended quarantine, along with Renuka Singh and Meghana Singh.&nbsp;Uncertainty looms large for Mandhana and Meghana are unlikely to be available for the second ODI, however, pacer Renuka could make the team as she is out of her quarantine.&nbsp;India's batting line-up was exposed in the first ODI when India collapsed from 105/2 to 165/6 as New Zealand kept their line and length accurate.&nbsp;With both experienced batters Raj and Harmanpreet dismissed in quick succession by the 33rd over, both by Jess Kerr, India could not chase down the target.&nbsp;Before that, the Indian bowlers let New Zealand score 275. The Indians seemed to have tied down the New Zealand batters till around the halfway mark but the hosts upped the ante in the middle overs to reach a big score.Centurion Suzie Bates was let off early when she was 13 with Rajeshwari Gayakwad dropping her at point and that sloppy fielding cost India dear. Bates went on to score 106 to anchor the New Zealand innings.&nbsp;The return to form of opener Bates, who scored her 11th ODI hundred and first in 19 innings, could be ominous for India.The only positive from the first game was that barring Harmanpreet, all the Indian bowlers were among wickets with Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami and Rajeshwari Gayakwad taking two apiece, while Poonam Yadav got one.&nbsp;With the 50-over World Cup less than three weeks away, Raj was a bit concerned, especially on the batting front, though she expected the team to make improvements.&nbsp;"We should be able to score 270 because that's the standard now in women's cricket," she said.She also wanted her bowlers to get used to the New Zealand conditions at a faster pace."It's important to get used to the conditions, it's in a way good that we are playing a series before World Cup. We definitely made a comeback in later half of first innings. It took time for the bowlers to get used to windy conditions, because there was a lot of breeze in the middle."&nbsp;&nbsp;India's squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Simran Dil Bahadur.&nbsp;New Zealand's squad: Sophie Devine (c), Amy Satterthwaite (vc), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.

Mithali-led India look for winning ways in second women's ODI against New Zealand

Having lost the first four ODIs, the bruised Mithali-led India will look to salvage pride when they face New Zealand in the fifth and final ODI match on Thursday (February 24). However, India will be desperate to gain some momentum heading into the marquee World Cup but for that, their bowlers will have to raise their game as they seek to stop the White Ferns from completing a 5-0 series sweep.&nbsp;Mithali Raj-led side is finding it difficult to stem the rot and faces the ignominy of a one-sided series defeat days ahead of the World Cup. The series defeat is India's fourth in the last one year, having lost to South Africa, England and Australia earlier.While the batters did raise their game in the second and third ODIs with a much-improved performance, the bowling unit has let the team down throughout the series, something that Mithali admitted was a concern heading into the World Cup.&nbsp;"Definitely have been trying a few combinations with the seam and spin attack. Bowling attack is a concern going into the World Cup," Mithali said."We are adapting to the conditions and to the open ground and the breeze. We have not been very consistent in our bowling spells," she added.&nbsp;The Indian team hasn't performed as a cohesive unit. While the bowlers failed to defend 270 plus targets in two games, the batters were unable to chase 276 and 192 in 20 overs in the fourth ODI. The fielding has also been sub-standard.With pressure building up on Harmanpreet Kaur, who has managed just 33 runs in the three ODIs and was also expensive with the ball, the visitors left out the vice-captain from the playing XI in the fourth ODI.&nbsp;Shafali Verma is also yet to fire. The youngster has only struck one fifty in the series and was out on nought in the last game.The only positive for India is teenage wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh's good form. The 18-year-old scored back-to-back half centuries in the second and fourth ODI and is India's second highest run-getter in the tournament behind Mithali.&nbsp;With Richa and the reliable Taniya Bhatia, India have two solid wicketkeeping options heading into the World Cup.New Zealand, on the other hand, will be delighted with how the series has panned out.&nbsp;Their top batters have been impressive, with Amelia Kerr and Suzie Bates hitting a hundred each while Amy Satterthwaite has scored two fifties.The lower-order has also shown it can finish games, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the third ODI.The Kerr sisters - Jess (7) and Amelia (6) -- have delivered with the with the ball as have pacer Hayley Jensen (5) and skipper Sophie Devine (4).&nbsp;India's squad: Sabbhineni Meghana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Simran Bahadur, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sneh Rana, Meghna Singh, Taniya Bhatia, Renuka Singh, Smriti Mandhana, Jhulan Goswami.&nbsp;New Zealand's squad: Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Katey Martin (wk), Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas, Lea Tahuhu, Lauren Down, Frances Mackay, Hannah Rowe.

IND vs NZ 5th WODI: Time ticking away for Mithali & Co. as they look to avoid New Zealand series sweep

Indian women’s team won the fifth and final ODI match of the series against New Zealand by 6 wickets and avoided a humiliating whitewash but this victory was not enough to thwart them from conceding the fourth series defeat in last one year. Previously, Indian women’s team were defeated by Australia, England and South Africa.&nbsp;India’s Harmanpreet Kaur was not in a pretty good form in the series but in the final ODI she scored a half-century to help her side in successfully reaching the target against the hosts New Zealand, on February 24 (Thursday).&nbsp;New Zealand batting firstEarlier, New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine had won the toss and decided to bat first and the decision initially seemed to pay off as the hosts managed to reach a solid total of 251 runs losing 9 wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Skipper Devine started the batting on a positive note after she notched 34 runs off 41 balls. Later, Amelia Kerr showed terrific batting skills as she scored 66 runs off 75 balls. Her innings was comprised of 6 boundaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later, Lauren Down (30 runs off 37 balls) and Hayley Jensen (30 runs off 33 deliveries) scored some important runs for their side.&nbsp;For the Indian team, their bowlers Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana picked up two wickets each. Other Indian bowlers- Meghna Singh and Poonam Yadav bagged one wicket each.&nbsp;India's run-chaseIn reply, Indian team lost an early wicket as opener Shafali Verma (9 runs off 11 balls) was sent back to the dressing room in the fifth over of the innings. Shafali’s poor show in the ODI continued as she could manage to notch only one fifty in the series and was out for a duck in the fourth ODI.&nbsp;&nbsp;But the other opening batter Smriti Mandhana (71 runs off 81 balls) and skipper Mithali Raj (59 runs not out off 73 balls) played in a superb fashion to avert the early danger.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later, Harmanpreet Kaur scored 63 runs to help the Indian team in securing a much-needed victory.&nbsp;For Harmanpreet, a good innings was very much needed as in the first three ODIs she just scored 33 runs and the vice-captain was not kept in the squad for the fourth ODI.

Harmanpreet Kaur scores much-needed half-century as India secure victory in final ODI against New Zealand

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