By Trisha Ghosal in Colombo
India made it two out of two in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 last night, sealing an 88-run win over Pakistan to climb to the top of the points table with four points. However, their net run rate of +1.515 is only the fourth-best, which is a concern considering India’s wins have come against comparatively weaker opponents. Ideally, their NRR should have been among the top two.
For over a year leading into the World Cup, India’s template had been clear — win the toss, bat first, and defend totals exceeding 300. Their batting was their biggest strength. Yet, two games into this tournament, that narrative has shifted. The batters are yet to find rhythm, and the team’s over-reliance on Smriti Mandhana has been exposed. Mandhana has fallen cheaply in both games — 23 (32) against Pakistan and 8 (10) versus Sri Lanka.
Pratika Rawal has been dismissed by spinners in both matches, while Harleen Deol has once again been guilty of getting starts without converting them. The larger issue, though, is India’s inability to rotate strike. Against Sri Lanka, 45% of deliveries faced were dot balls — 127 of the legitimate 282. India’s total of 269 included 116 runs in boundaries, meaning 43% of their runs came from fours and sixes. This shows a dangerous dependency on boundary-hitting, as well-timed shots too often went straight to fielders. When singles dry up, pressure builds, and dismissals follow.
Things worsened against Pakistan. On a slower pitch, India’s batters appeared stuck once more — despite Pakistan’s attack being weaker than Sri Lanka’s. India played 57% dot balls in that match — roughly 173 deliveries without scoring — the highest by any team in this World Cup so far and the second-highest for India in 34 ODIs since January 2023, after their 181-dot-ball innings against New Zealand in Ahmedabad last year. Out of their 247 runs, 130 came in boundaries — a staggering 53% of the total.
Interestingly, during the net session two days before the Pakistan game, Mandhana had been charging down to pacers, driving over cover and flicking over mid-wicket. Yet, during the actual match, she didn’t step out once to the seamers. Meanwhile, when Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol bat together, the scoreboard stagnates.
Deol’s numbers underline the problem:
•0–25: 6 innings
•26–50: 8 innings (one not out)
•50-plus: 2 innings
Yesterday marked the fourth time this year she has been dismissed between 45 and 49. For a top-order batter who has played 14 ODIs in 2025, not converting starts into centuries is close to a cardinal sin.
India’s upcoming fixtures — South Africa, Australia, England, and New Zealand — will decide their fate in this home World Cup. If the batting unit continues to waste deliveries and depend solely on boundaries, setting or chasing competitive totals will become near impossible. India must win at least two of those four matches to keep semi-final hopes alive.
Head coach Amol Muzumdar’s immediate task is clear: the team must start rotating the strike — and quickly. And batters must convert starts into big scores with a healthy strike rate.
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