New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Former India cricketer and selector Saba Karim believes the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will face its toughest test in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup not in the high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, but when pitted against the top teams in the competition.

India are coming after beating Sri Lanka by 59 runs, and another clinical win over Pakistan, who suffered a seven-wicket loss to Bangladesh, will strengthen their net run rate before tougher league stage fixtures arrive.

“No, not at all. I think the toughest clash for India would be against the top teams, mainly Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand. Pakistan has come through the qualifiers and whatever I could make out of the side, especially when they’re up against a team like India, I don’t think India would really bother about Pakistan at this stage.”

“I know that they will take one match at a time in this World Cup. But having said that, I do believe that the tougher challenges await later when India is pitted against Australia and New Zealand and the other teams that I talked about, not against Pakistan,” Karim, a JioStar expert, told IANS in a select virtual interaction by the broadcasters on Friday.

The India–Pakistan fixture at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday carries huge fanfare, as it will be the fourth straight fixture between the two teams after three meetings in the recent Men’s T20 Asia Cup in the UAE.

Just like how Suryakumar Yadav & Co didn’t shake hands, a similar stance is expected to be carried out by Harmanpreet and her team, especially with the ICC playing regulations not having any mention of a post-game handshake being mandatory.

Though India were rescued by the all-round efforts of Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma against Sri Lanka, some concerns still surround the hosts’ quest to win their first World Cup trophy. A five-bowler setup was enough for India to bowl out Sri Lanka 59 runs short of the target, but the need for a sixth bowler will certainly arise at some stage in the competition.

Karim feels opener Pratika Rawal and skipper Harmanpreet will have to shoulder the sixth bowler’s load on days when the main bowlers are taken apart. “In terms of sixth bowling option, yes, they did try out Pratika Rawal in the last game. She bowled a couple of overs and also picked a wicket. So, I think India has got two bowling options for the sixth bowler – one is Pratika Rawal and the other is Harman.”

“Although, Harman has not bowled too much in the previous games or this season, but I do expect her to roll her arm over, so that should settle the debate for the sixth bowling option. I am sure that India would require their services, especially against top sides like Australia and England. So, that’s one factor where India has to try out the sixth bowler from the eleven itself.”

India’s batting innings also showcased a fault line many had been fearing for a while – a slowdown in the scoring rate if the in-form Smriti Mandhana falls early. In Guwahati, Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol slipped into a shell and that was evident from the duo amassing just 38 runs off their first 70 balls together.

With Sri Lanka bowling stump-to-stump and fielding sharply, Pratika and Harleen struggled to break free, as India’s run-rate dipped and dot balls increased. Even when the duo attempted acceleration, both perished in trying to shift gears, with their partnership eventually reading as 67 runs off 96 balls.

Without Smriti’s aggressive starts, India’s innings risks stagnation, and Karim believes it is a trend which the side must urgently address. “I also feel that there is some kind of sameness around Pratika Rawal and Harleen Doel. But it depends on the strategy of the Indian team. I feel that the Indian team management may just be very flexible in terms of the batting order.”

“For instance, if Smriti Mandhana gets out early, then Harleen Deol comes in. If Pratika Rawal gets out early, then there is a possibility that Harman can go up the order. So, I think that would be a much better strategy from the Indian team, to have that kind of flexibility so that the run rate maintained in the first powerplay continues with some kind of increment even in the middle overs. So that’s something which the Indian team management will have to work with,” he concluded.

Catch India vs Pakistan in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 on October 5 live on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.

–IANS

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