Navi Mumbai, Oct 26 (IANS) Ahead of the all-important second semifinal against Australia at the same venue, India had a huge scare when opener Pratika Rawal suffered an injury while attempting to save a boundary in Match 28 of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

The injury puts Pratik in doubt for India’s semifinal clash with Australia at the same venue on October 30.

Unseasonal rains played spoilsport for India in more ways than one, washing off the match and costing them a victory and one point. But the bigger concern for the hosts will be the injury suffered by Pratika Rawal ahead of the crucial semifinal. India were 57 for no loss chasing a DLS revised target of 126 in 27 overs when another downpour forced the umpires to call it off as a no-result.

Rawal, who struck her maiden World Cup century in the previous match against New Zealand at the same venue, slipped on the wet surface at long-on as she went to field a shot by Sharmin Akhter off Deepti Sharma in the 21st over of the match, which was reduced to 27-over-a-side because of two spells of drizzle that kept the players in for nearly four hours.

The BCCI sent out an update during the Indian innings, informing that the medical team is monitoring her closely.

“Team India all-rounder Pratika Rawal sustained an injury to her knee and ankle while fielding in the first innings against Bangladesh at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring her progress,” the board informed.

Rawal attacked the ball, overran it, and twisted her right ankle as she tried to stop and turn in one motion in an attempt to prevent the ball from running to the boundary.

The wet ground conditions and slippery surface underfoot definitely had a role to play in her injury as she fell in that part of the ground which was totally exposed to rainwater throughout. The ground staff had applied the covers in such a way that the long-on area was always exposed to the rain since the afternoon.

Umpires Lauren Agenbag and Sue Redfern seemed to have missed that area while inspecting the ground after the second interruption. Or they did not consider it dangerous enough, considering the efforts of the ground staff to run the super sopper through that area a few times.

But apparently that was not enough, and it now appears that India will pay the price of the decision by the officials to go ahead with the match in such dangerous conditions.

Pratika is key to India’s batting lineup as she has a great partnership going with Smriti Mandhana. Both have scored nearly 1500 runs for the opening wicket in One-day cricket this year. Rawal is on the verge of becoming the second batter to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODI cricket. Smriti Mandhana is the first player to do so.

Taking on the mighty Aussies without her would hamper India’s chances tremendously in the semifinals.

–IANS

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