Having already lost the five-match series, West Indies Women are looking for a turnaround in the fourth contest when they battle India Women today from 13:30 hours at the National Stadium, Providence.
West Indies captain Anisa Mohammed and Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith have both identified the team’s struggles in the batting department as their weakness.
Before heading to Guyana, the Caribbean side were bundled out for 101 and 103, while on the South American mainland, they were contained to a paltry 59-9, their lowest score in an uninterrupted match.
Mohammed indicated that the top order needs to step up if they are to end the series 3-2 rather than 5-0.
“I think our batters need to be a bit more patient and bat until the end. You can’t have bowlers batting much of the overs,” Mohammed said.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Chinelle Henry has brushed off the absence of “key players” as the reason for their poor run and said that the team is packed with match winners who can allow the side to dominate.
Shemaine Campbelle, Stacy Ann King and Hayley Matthews will need to lay the foundation to allow the likes of Henry, Sheneta Grimmon, Chedean Nation and Natasha McClean to explode in the back end of the innings if they are to give their side a chance.
Mohammed and Henry have both agreed that the bowling department has been the standout feature of the side, with quality spinners such as Grimmond, Matthews, Afy Fletcher and Mohammed in the ranks.
In light of the series being lost, local all-rounder Cherry-Ann Fraser could be in line to make her debut and boost the seam department as well as provide depth in the batting order.
Meanwhile, India Women vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has indicated that her unit will not be letting up the pressure.
The 23-year-old told Stabroek Sport that all the matches from now, building up to the International Cricket Council’s T20 World Cup in Australia next year, will be taken as practice matches in order for the side to be fully prepared.
“All the teams are preparing for the World Cup. Any matches we get is practice for the World Cup so whatever we will be playing in the next six months is with World Cup in mind so we wouldn’t be relaxed and [will] concentrate on the next two [matches] the same way we did with the previous three,” Mandhana stated.
