New Delhi, Oct 17 (NationPress) Former England skipper Nasser Hussain opines that the upcoming matches in India's journey through the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, particularly their impending face-off against England on Sunday, will significantly depend on their mental fortitude and resilience to rebound after two back-to-back losses in Visakhapatnam.

India's journey in this World Cup stands at a pivotal point as they prepare for a vital match against England at Holkar Stadium in Indore. Since the year 2020, India has been unable to secure a victory against any SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) team in global competitions across both formats.

With the threat of not making it to the semifinals looming, the team captained by Harmanpreet Kaur must not allow any mistakes when facing Nat Sciver-Brunt and her team. Hussain also encouraged the Indian squad to maintain their confidence, reminding them of their ODI series triumph over England last July.

"It’s not an ideal situation mid-tournament. As the host nation, the pressure is constant. I believe Harmanpreet, during her first press conference, downplayed it by saying, 'We don't feel the pressure,' which is acceptable when you're winning," Hussain remarked.

"However, once you start losing, that pressure escalates as every match turns into a must-win scenario. Unless you’re Australia, who along with England remain unbeaten in this tournament, losing is part of the game, especially in tournament formats. The key lies in how you recover from those losses, and this is where character comes into play. India possesses many talented players, and they could have easily won those last two matches. Their losses were not due to poor performance but rather exceptional plays by their opponents."

"It's crucial for them to keep their spirits high. Remember, they triumphed over England in the summer. In a long tournament, averaging a week doesn't mean it's the end; recovery is possible," Hussain shared with IANS during the JioStar Press Room show on Friday.

With the pitch in Indore expected to be conducive to high scoring, Hussain advocates for a more aggressive batting strategy from India. He urges them to adopt an assertive approach early in the innings, similar to their 330-run total against Australia in Visakhapatnam, despite that effort ultimately being in vain.

"In their initial games, it seemed they were merely aiming for a par score without playing with freedom. Watching their match against Australia, the way Pratika, Smriti, and the top order approached the innings highlighted that against a team like Australia, a par score plus some extra runs is essential," he emphasized.

"You can't expect to merely accumulate runs and expect to triumph over Australia. Although India lost to Australia, their performance showed promise as they played with bravery, knowing that was the only way to win against them. You can't afford a timid approach, as evidenced by Bangladesh's struggle last night, which they couldn't chase down."

"If India aims to face England similarly to how they tackled Australia, they must attack aggressively. If they include an extra batter, like Sneh Rana and Amanjot Kaur batting at eight and nine, they should utilize that depth to score significantly, enabling their spinners and seamers to play a pivotal role," he concluded.

Mark your calendars for the India vs England showdown in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 on October 19 at 3 PM, live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.