Navi Mumbai, Oct 23 (UNI) New Zealand Women won the toss and opted to field against India Women in a crucial ICC Women’s World Cup clash at DY Patil Stadium here today, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest under favourable batting conditions.
Harmanpreet Kaur, leading India, said the team sees a “great opportunity” in today’s game. “The pitch is looking really good, and we have added extra batswomen. We aim to set a decent total. Jemimah Rodrigues comes in for Amanjot Kaur. It was disappointing to not get results in previous matches despite good performances, but today is important. We want to enjoy the moment and play good cricket,” Harmanpreet added.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine said, “The surface shouldn’t change much, though it might get better under lights with a bit of dew. We’ve trained hard, and fresh is best for us. Playing in India at a World Cup is what every cricketer wants. We’re excited for the challenge and confident in our preparation. We’re going with the same XI today.”
India will bat first, looking to set a challenging total while New Zealand Women aim to exploit early conditions under lights.
India Women’s playing XI features Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, and Renuka Singh Thakur.
New Zealand Women have named Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (captain), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wicketkeeper), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, and Eden Carson.
