India will want the batters to find a higher gear in WC

Two matches into the World Cup and India have ticked the win column twice ~ against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

- Samreen Razzaqui

On the surface level, it all looks good but the batting card tells a worrying story. For a lineup that prides itself on knowing the subcontinent so well, the runs haven't flowed as expected.

So far, India’s batters have accounted for just two fifties from Harleen Deol and Deepti Sharma. India have successfully tied down their subcontinental opponents with only the exception of Bangladesh remaining but with that leg complete, the upcoming challenge of SENA countries requires them to really step up.

While the team’s average scores have been enough to see off less formidable opponents, the lack of partnerships and low strike rates hint at problems ahead when they face South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand next.

Their inform batter and tempo-setter Smriti Mandhana has maintained time and again that the team is not dependent on her contributions alone. However, her failure in both matches saw the batting struggle a little. So far, she has managed just 31 runs in two innings at an average of 15.5.

More concerning is her strike rate of 73.80, symptomatic of a broader problem at the top where India haven't been able to dominate the powerplay. Her timing wasn’t great in Guwahati and Colombo - pitches with a bit of spice.