ICC Women's World T20: Can Indian eves book semis berth?
The Indian women's cricket team, led by Kaur, is set to take on Ireland in the ICC Women's World T20. This Group B encounter sees stark contrast between the two sides. Indian eves have been brilliant, with two successive wins under their belt. Ireland have lost both their matches and find themselves in a position of bother. Here is everything you need to know.
India have a settled side and the situation looks good
India have a settled side and their bowling, in particular, has been pleasing to the eye. The likes of Poonam Yadav and Hemalatha have been terrific. The spin twins are expected to make life difficult for the Irish women. Harman did the job against the Kiwis with a fabulous ton. Against Pakistan, Mithali Raj came strong. This shows players are ready to share responsibility.
Mandhana's form a worrying sign
India have one concern and that is regarding the form of star player Smriti Mandhana. She failed in the opening game (2). In the next tie against Pakistan, Smriti got off to a strong start (26), but could not covert it into a big knock.
Irish women have been poor
Ireland are ranked 10 in the T20I rankings and as expected, their performance against Australia was below par. But in the match against Pakistan, fans hoped that they would give a better account of themselves. But that didn't happen. They have nothing to lose against India and this could help them go all guns blazing. But India go in as clear favorites.
Players to watch out for
India's spin twins will be eager to continue their solid work. Both have been among the wickets and have not given away easy runs. Hemalatha has given Poonam the perfect support to create pressure on batswomen. For Ireland, focus will be on Clare Shillington to get the runs needed atop. Lucy O'Reilly was terrific against Pakistan and could cause trouble for India.
Match timing, TV listing and venue
The India vs Ireland T20I is going to be played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The T20I match will begin at 8:30 PM IST. The match can be watched live on the Star Sports network. It will also be streamed live on Hotstar.
