Fielding Woes Overshadow India's ODI Series Preparations

Smriti Mandhana reflects on India's ODI series against Australia, prioritizing testing team combinations before the World Cup over achieving victory. Fielding inconsistency remains a concern, but the squad shows no over-reliance on Mandhana despite her strong performances. India remains flexible for World Cup strategies.

Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, emphasized that the ODI series against Australia was more about refining team dynamics ahead of the impending World Cup than clinching the series win.

An opportunity for India's historic series win in the final was hampered by a 43-run defeat. Despite this setback, Mandhana stressed the importance of using Australia as a benchmark to assess the team's vulnerabilities. Fielding inconsistencies, previously sharp in England, surfaced prominently, with over 12 catches dropped.

Mandhana, the series top scorer, downplayed concerns of being over-reliant, highlighting the squad's collective potential. While cautious about revealing World Cup plans, Mandhana assured flexible strategies adapted to match conditions.

(With inputs from agencies.)