India aim better fielding against Sri Lanka in second WT20I

India will face Sri Lanka in the second WT20I in Visakhapatnam after an eight-wicket win in the opener. Harmanpreet Kaur stressed on improving fielding, while Jemimah Rodrigues and Vaishnavi Sharma impressed as India aim to continue their dominance

Visakhapatnam: The Indian women’s cricket team will look to raise its fielding standards and build on a comprehensive opening win when it faces Sri Lanka in the second WT20I here on Tuesday.

Playing its first international game after a historic World Cup triumph last month, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side did not need to break much sweat in batting and bowling during an eight-wicket win over the islanders.

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However, the team’s fielding, especially catching, left much to be desired despite the bowlers restricting Sri Lanka to 121 for 6.

“We are working on our fielding. Don’t know why we keep dropping catches. It is wet out here, but that is not an excuse. We really need to think about it. In the next match, we will come with a better approach,” skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match.

The Indian team had a six-week break following the World Cup high. The players converged for a week-long camp at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Some rustiness in fielding was expected, and the skipper feels the team will soon get into the groove.

“We are playing after a month. We don’t want to unnecessarily challenge ourselves. We just want to do well for the team. We wanted to bowl first and see how it goes. We wanted to show a better approach,” Harmanpreet said.

On paper, India are overwhelming favourites against Chamari Athapaththu-led visitors. Jemimah Rodrigues continued her fine form from the World Cup, punishing Shashini Gimhani, a rare left-arm wrist spinner, for six boundaries.

The biggest gain for India was 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who was recently ignored at the WPL auctions. Though wicketless, she conceded only 16 runs without giving away a boundary.

For Shafali Verma, the series is crucial to find consistency in the format that suits her game. While Sri Lanka’s poor show in the opener did not test India’s batting much, the likes of Rodrigues, Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma would prefer tougher challenges before embarking on a demanding tour of Australia after the Women’s Premier League.

Squads:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh (WK), G Kamalini (WK), Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika De Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Malsha Shehani, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Nimesha Madushani, Kawya Kavindi, Rashmika Sewwandi, Malki Madara.

Match starts at 7 pm.