Snehasis Mukherjee in Indore
Another high-intensity practice session for India as they continue preparing to face England in their next match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on October 19.
Except for seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur and reserve wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, every other player was present and worked hard throughout the session. The team began with warm-ups on the field before heading to the indoor nets, while regular wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh trained separately.
Richa had a wicketkeeping session with fielding coach Munish Bali and a few support staff in one of the outdoor nets. Later, she had a batting session against net bowlers and a throwdown specialist.
Inside the indoor facility, two nets were in use. In one, pacers Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, and Kranti Gaud bowled. In the other, spinners Radha Yadav, N Shree Charani, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana operated. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues batted against the pacers, while Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol faced the spinners.
It was a match-simulation practice, with bowlers setting imaginary field placements before each delivery. Bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi and head coach Amol Muzumdar acted as umpires.
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Pratika found it tough against spin, getting out LBW twice while playing sweeps against Deepti and Sneh. In the pacers’ net, Kranti bowled with great rhythm and even clean-bowled Harmanpreet, sending her stumps flying. The skipper looked frustrated but continued to bat with focus.
There was healthy competitiveness throughout the session. Every player, whether batter or bowler, wanted to win their small battles. Arundhati again looked impressive, bowling with energy and consistency. Later, the batters swapped nets – Harmanpreet and Jemimah faced the spinners, while Pratika and Harleen moved to the pacers.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana showed her leadership skills during the entire session. She guided the bowlers, especially Renuka, Kranti, and Arundhati, discussing different plans for each batter. After her inputs, Kranti switched to bowling round the wicket, targeting outside off – likely practice for the death overs. Smriti also discussed field placements with the bowlers and spoke with Charani and Sneh about their line and length.
The focus and energy stayed high throughout. At one point, Jemimah called a run after hitting a shot, but Smriti reminded her that it wasn’t possible according to the field setup — showing how detailed the simulation was.
The session mainly focused on improving strike rotation and finding gaps more regularly — an area India have struggled with so far in the tournament. It ended with fielding drills, with the players showing strong intent ahead of what is shaping up almost as a must-win against England.
Also Read: England’s spin and variations pose threat to Harmanpreet’s India in Indore