Trying to give batters different responsibilities: Minnu Mani

India A women's tour of Australia hasn’t been going well for the visitors, as the hosts, led by Tahlia McGrath, have thrashed them in the T20s, winning all three games. 

One noticeable pattern for India A women in these games was the wholesale changes in the batting order. While Uma Chetry batted at number three in the first T20, she slotted at number seven in the second T20 and didn’t play the third game. 

Meanwhile, Kiran Navgire, one of the best batters for the team on the tour, had been slotted in the lower order. Even Australia A women's skipper Tahlia McGrath mentioned how Navgire is the one opposition player who is discussed in team meetings. 

“Actually, we are trying to give them different responsibilities at different positions to see how they can come up with a good mindset and well they can do at that position, and what are the slots which one batter can play better. We are just giving them different scenarios and different situations. That’s it,” the India A skipper said in a press interaction before the 50-over games begin on August 14. 

Minnu Mani was also impressed with the way Navgire batted in the T20 series. 

“I think she is the one player who can hit big. In these T20s, she showed that she could bat anywhere and score runs. So for us, it is a big advantage, wherever she can bat,” Mani said. 

While the first T20 was a close game decided by a margin of five runs, Australia were dominant in the remaining two and were ahead for most of those games. However, the Indian skipper believed that her team was getting better, and the changes in the team combinations hadn’t been made as a reaction to the losses.

“Winning or losing doesn't affect our team’s coordination. We are united and in good spirits for the 50-over series. As a captain, I feel I should contribute to the team, whatever the situation, and I should show responsibility. I think it was a great learning experience for us to play here in different conditions, and we will be getting better with more matches.”

However, when asked if a clear goal was set for the tour before coming, Minnu said that nothing was discussed in that regard. 

“We just had a four-day camp before coming here. Other than that nothing else.”

India A women will now play three 50-over games in Mackay, beginning tomorrow, August 14. 

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