Vishakhapatnam, Oct 10 (IANS) Former India captain and pundit Anjum Chopra discussed India’s shortcomings from their recent Women’s World Cup game against South Africa, where the Proteas handed the Women in Blue their first defeat of the tournament in a thriller, saying that Harmanpreet Kaur-led side failed to analyse that the opposition team also has match-winners.

Anjum also lauded Nadine de Klerk’s knock, as she held her nerves under pressure and took charge of the hitting to help her side clinch a nail-biting win. Richa Ghosh’s steady batting anchored India’s innings, but de Klerk’s unbeaten 84 led South Africa to victory.

Anjum commented on India’s performance, highlighting the resilience of the middle order, especially Richa’s contribution. She also emphasised the importance of expanding bowling options and learning key lessons to improve as the tournament progresses.

“Nadine de Klerk played true to her strengths. She’s one of those underrated performers in South African and world cricket, someone who’s often seen as a bowler who can send down a few overs or as a batter who contributes occasionally but is not always recognised as a major match-winner. Her knock will make people take notice. Coming in at number eight and knowing exactly how to finish games. That’s a big takeaway for world cricket, seeing another player of such calibre come through.

“For India, the positive takeaway was the effort from Richa Ghosh and the middle order, including Sneh Rana, who once again stood up for the team. They showed intent and composure, making it clear that the middle and lower orders are willing to take responsibility. When India came out to bowl, they looked in sync with the situation, aware of how crucial every run was. They were up for the contest and the fight. But somewhere along the way, that intensity dropped, perhaps thinking the game was in the bag. They didn’t fully acknowledge that the opposition also had match-winners and depth in their batting line-up, much like India,” Anjum said on JioHotstar.

India’s bowling unit yet again performed brilliantly and added pressure on the Proteas by picking up wickets early in the game. While South Africa’s chances looked meek as they started off with the chase, de Klerk pulled off a miracle to change the fate of the game. Speaking on India’s bowling unit.

“The tall batting order we often talk about, capable of chasing big targets, now has to prove itself under pressure, just like South Africa did with Laura Wolvaardt, Chloe Tryon, and Nadine de Klerk leading the way. The same kind of conditions will be seen again in Vizag, Indore, and Mumbai. They are not going to change. It’s about how India adapt to them and find the right bowling combinations to respond,” Anjum added.

India lacked a sixth bowling option, which is why skipper Harmanpreet Kaur took charge in the middle and bowled four overs in the game. She conceded 15 runs and went wicketless, but that move led to further questions being raised about India not having a sixth full-time bowler in the lineup.

“You have to get a sixth bowler; it’s absolutely essential. To be fair, this has been evident for the last two years. The Indian team has struggled with four bowlers and only recently managed to add a fifth, but it’s not enough. It’s unrealistic to think five bowlers can manage in every scenario. Now, the challenge is that even with six or seven batters, India is still not consistently reaching 250–280 runs and continues to face batting collapses.

“So, the team management will have to make a tough call, whether it’s sacrificing an opener, a number three, or a number five, a bowler must come in. Even with a deep batting order, when someone like Richa Ghosh is batting at number eight, it’s clear that several batters aren’t delivering consistently. It’s time to strengthen at least one department decisively,” she concluded.

–IANS

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