No, India didn’t win the 2017 Women’s World Cup. But for what it’s worth, they deserve a round of applause, having come a long way and giving favourites England the fight of their lives in a closely contested nine-run loss in the final at Lord’s on Sunday. It was a campaign of highs and lows for Mithali Raj and her women. At the end of a madcap month, let’s look back and see how who did well... and who can improve:
Punam Raut
The foundation builder: Raut hit 35 fours in the entire tournament, just one below Mithali and was eighth in the list of batters with the most fours. But where she excelled was with her ability to string together big partnerships and set up a strong foundation. She combined with Smriti Mandhana in the first match against England in a partnership of 144, put on 157 with Mithali Raj against Australia in a group-stage match and almost took India home in the final after putting on a 95-run stand with Harmanpreet Kaur
Strike rate issues: Only twice in the entire tournament did Raut score at a strike rate of over 70. Her 106 against Australia in the group stage came in 136 balls while in the final, she scored 86 off 115 balls. Her strike rate mostly revolved around the 50 to 60 mark.
Smriti Mandhana
Only one style of play: After that incredible start (90 and 106 not out), Smriti Mandhana never got going. She scored only 36 runs in the next seven matches, repeatedly being worked out by the bowlers.
The talented Mandhana must realise that in international cricket, you need more than one approach. Bowlers will work you out unless you know how to change and adapt your game accordingly. Driving on the off-side (and pulling on the on) gave her the runs in the first two matches but after being worked out, she hardly had an answer.
Mithali Raj
Pure consistency: With three half-centuries, a century and a 46 and a 36, the Indian captain was the epitome of consistency in this tournament. On the way, she broke records, scoring seven half-centuries on the trot and also became the highest run-getter in women’s ODIs.
Where were the big hits? Raj did hit 36 boundaries in the entire tournament but 11 of them came in one innings, that century against New Zealand. She started the tournament on an aggressive note with a 73-ball 71 against England where she had only 27 dot balls but struggled for aggression thereafter, despite getting runs.
Against Australia in her group-stage match, she ate up nearly 43% of the team’s total dot balls. The century against New Zealand followed a similar trend: she played 38% of the team’s dot balls. Another interesting point: only one six came off her bat in the entire tournament.
Harmanpreet Kaur
Block, smash, block: The sprightly 28-year-old has one template for her batting: block, block...and then smash. It is reflected in her series of scores this tournament. On the day, it came off...that incredible, once-in-a-lifetime 171 against Australia, she was devastating. But even there, she started off the innings slow...at one stage, she was 24 off 42 balls.
There’s no mid-range for Kaur. She will either go great guns or she will play at a middling strike-rate in the 50s. Her strategy is to block ball after ball and play a release shot when the going gets tough. While it has worked for her to some extent, she might want to consider some more tweaks to her batting that will ensure she doesn’t have to keep blocking.
Deepti Sharma
Shunted around: Batting-wise, Deepti Sharma had a strange World Cup but you can hardly blame her. She seemed at ease in the No 3 spot, even hitting a well-made 78 against Sri Lanka and a lone-hand 60 against South Africa but was shunted around thereafter in the batting order, which perhaps affected her batting. She kept a cool head in crisis in the final and almost looked like she was going to take India home before a fatal misjudgement dismissed her.
Highest wicket-taker: Ekta Bisht and Rajeshwari Gayakwad may have taken the big five-fors but it was the unassuming Deepti who finished as India’s highest wicket-taker in the World Cup with 12 scalps. It was indicative of her consistency, she took a wicket in all but two matches.
Veda Krishnamurthy
The big-hitter: Much like Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy is different from the other batters in this Indian line-up in the sense that she likes to go for the big shots. After replacing Mona Meshram in the team, Krishnamurthy came into her own with a fabulous 45-ball 70 against New Zealand which, fair to say, turned around India’s tournament.
Judicious shot selection: Krishnamurthy also scored a 34-ball 35 against England in the final but it wouldn’t be wrong to say that she rode her luck. In both her knocks, against New Zealand and against England, there were mishits which just fell short and opportunities which went a-begging. Krishnamurthy is precociously talented and is just the finisher India needs. But she’ll need to clean up her game a little.
Sushma Verma
Not a tournament to remember: The 24-year-old did not have a tournament to remember – she had only one substantial score of 33 against Pakistan and did not much of note thereafter, even after receiving a promotion. She also put down a few chances while keeping. While technically a good batter, there is still some way to go.
Jhulan Goswami
Still the veteran: Jhulan Goswami, the highest wicket-taker in the history of women’s ODIs, started the tournament with figures of 0/76 in 13 overs. But she banished all murmurs that she was past her prime with some consistent performances in the next few matches. Despite all the talk, it is important to remember she finished the tournament as India’s third highest wicket-taker. And as she showed in her 3/23 display in the final, on the big occasion, she always steps up.
Nothing left to achieve: Apart from an unbeaten 43 against South Africa, Goswami didn’t do a lot with the bat, but you hardly can blame her for that. The pacer has put in yeoman service to Indian cricket and deserved to go out on a high. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
Ekta Bisht
Hit her peak too early? Ekta Bisht had two great games – she tied West Indies down into knots with figures of 1/23 and then bundled Pakistan out with figures of 5/18, then the best figures by an Indian bowler at the World Cup. But things progressively started going downhill after that, she took three wickets in three matches thereafter and was dropped for Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
Bisht probably hit her peak a little too early but she is also an experienced figure and will surely dig deep into her reserves and figure out how to keep the momentum going when things are good.
Poonam Yadav
Consistently among the wickets: Like Mithali Raj with the bat, Poonam Yadav’s leg-spin was a symbol of consistency in this tournament. She finished as the second-highest wicket-taker (11 wickets) and with the best economy rate (3.86) among Indian bowlers. Her slow, loopy leg-spin gave her at least one wicket in every match, except for the one against Pakistan where she still finished with figures of 0/8 in her five matches. There’s not much the 25-year-old should change...just stay the course and keep it steady.
Shikha Pandey
A middling display: Twenty-eight-year-old Shikha Pandey was expected to take over the fast bowling mantle from Jhulan Goswami in this tournament but it was a middling sort of tournament for her, especially after she was dropped in the middle of India’s campaign for two matches. It wasn’t all bad – she derailed New Zealand and Australia’s chases with early wickets in those respective games and took 3/40 against South Africa but just didn’t have the impact a swing bowler in England is supposed to have.
With a total of eight wickets in the World Cup, Pandey needs to go back into the drawing boards and ensure she is tighter in line and length. She was guilty of spraying it around quite a few times this tournament.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad
Instant impact: Rajeshwari Gayakwad came into the team to replace fellow left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht and had an instant impact, taking 5/15 against New Zealand. It was a sign of India’s newly-discovered intent and despite a tough day out against Australia, she troubled England plenty of times in the final. She possesses tremendous control and is someone who can complement Bisht’s bullet-straight line.
Mona Meshram and Mansi Joshi
Opportunities squandered away: Both Mona Meshram and Mansi Joshi had the chance to cement their spots in the team. Both squandered it away. Meshram scored 18 not out against West Indies and just six against Pakistan and was dropped for Krishnamurthy. Joshi came in for Pandey, took 2/9 against Pakistan but went for 0/36 against Sri Lanka and was left out again for Pandey.
Nuzhat Parween
Did not play a match.