Harmanpreet Expresses Intent to Experiment with Combinations Before ODIs Against Australia
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Brisbane, Dec 4 (NationPress) In anticipation of India's inaugural ODI against Australia at the Allan Border Field on Thursday, captain Harmanpreet Kaur stated that the team's focus during this tour is to venture out and experiment with various combinations, especially with the World Cup on the horizon next year.
Australia has triumphed in nine out of their last ten women’s ODIs against India. “All the matches are crucial for us. We simply want to head out there, try our combinations, and identify the players who are performing well, giving them more chances,” said Harmanpreet.
“Simultaneously, we want to provide opportunities to the promising players who are excelling, evaluating who stands out. With the World Cup in mind, we aim to select players who can perform effectively in home conditions for the tournament,” Harmanpreet remarked at the pre-series press conference.
India enters this series following a 2-1 victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad in October. Harmanpreet confirmed that all team members are available for selection for the series opener against Australia.
“Playing in Australia is always exhilarating. We enjoy playing cricket here and are eagerly anticipating the match. After two days of training, we are getting into the groove. Everyone looks fit and is having a great time here. All 15 members are ready for the match tomorrow,” she stated.
“We performed admirably against New Zealand in our home conditions, and while the conditions here are different, we are working to acclimatize quickly and are looking forward to competing against Australia. ODI is a format we truly enjoy more than other formats,” she added.
“We are always excited to play, especially with the upcoming World Cup in India. Australia is a formidable team that excels in cricket wherever they play, making it a fantastic opportunity for us to perform well against them,” Harmanpreet concluded.
India will introduce a new opening combination following the exclusion of Shafali Verma, who has scored only 108 runs at an average of 18 in six ODIs this year. They will also be without Yastika Bhatia, who is sidelined due to a wrist injury, leaving Priya Punia as the other top-order batter in the touring squad.
“Shafali is a key player for us, having performed commendably for the country. We had high hopes for her to regain her form and contribute effectively,” Harmanpreet concluded.
