Snehasis Mukherjee in Navi Mumbai
Team India are gearing up for a must-win clash against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup. With only two wins in five games, the home side are under real pressure. The match against the White Ferns is now a virtual quarter-final for Harmanpreet Kaur’s team.
Ahead of the game, all eyes are on India’s team combination. Against England, India picked six bowling options, a needed move, but to make space, they dropped Jemimah Rodrigues while sticking with Harleen Deol at number three. Was that the right call? Should India continue with this plan? Let’s look at the numbers.
For Harleen, the problem has been her inability to convert starts into big scores. So far in the tournament, her scores read 48 (64) vs Sri Lanka, 46 (65) vs Pakistan, 13 (23) vs South Africa, 38 (42) vs Australia, and 24 (31) vs England. Out of her total 169 runs (off 225 balls), 88 have come in boundaries, which means 52% of her runs are from fours and sixes. The remaining 81 runs have come off 204 balls at a strike rate of 39.70. This shows her struggle to rotate strike when boundaries dry up. Her dot ball percentage in this World Cup is 57.3%, quite similar to her career figure of 55.5% from 35 ODIs.
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Now, comparing that with Jemimah Rodrigues. Jemimah has not shown her best form either, scoring 65 runs (off 63 balls) in four innings so far. But 40 of those runs have come in boundaries (61.5%) while the remaining 25 runs came off 53 balls at a strike rate of 47.17. She has clearly rotated the strike better than Harleen when set. Over her 55-match ODI career, her dot ball percentage is 47.1%, and in 2025, it has dropped further to 38.7%. Harleen, meanwhile, sits at 55.8% this year.
This shows Jemimah handles spin better in the middle overs and can keep the scoreboard ticking. As a number three batter, that is crucial, someone who can keep the flow of runs and offer consistency under pressure.
Even in the field, Jemimah adds extra value. While Harleen is reliable, Jemimah brings energy, intent, and spark. Her athleticism creates chances out of nowhere, as seen in the Australia game, where she stopped boundaries and threw sharply, creating chances.
So, going into the New Zealand game, Team India need to rethink their combination. Jemimah’s strike rotation, consistency, and fielding impact make her a stronger choice. With qualification hopes on the line, India need stability, and Jemimah could provide exactly that.
