India women's bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi has dismissed concerns over the team's dramatic late-order batting collapse against Thailand, calling it an inherent feature of T20 cricket, as the seven-time champions gear up for a Group A encounter against Hong Kong-China at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The Batting Collapse in Context

Despite recording a commanding 94-run victory over Thailand in their tournament opener, India's middle and lower-order frailties were exposed in stark fashion. Opener Shafali Verma blazed to a 36-ball 64, propelling India to a commanding 101/2 at the halfway mark — yet the innings unravelled dramatically as the side lost seven wickets for just 29 runs in the second half, eventually finishing on 159/9.

Salvi, however, was measured in his assessment. 'Yeah, but that's the nature of the sport. We are playing a T20 sport. So it's not that every time we get into it, we will be executing our plans. There will be times when we will probably not execute the plans as well as we would have wanted to. So there will be a downfall. But if you see, there was a comeback also,' he said at the pre-match press conference.

He credited the lower order for steadying the ship. 'The way they came back really well, they stretched the partnership at the end. Those important runs were contributed by the middle order and the lower order batters, which probably created that 160 mark. Then after that, you saw how they bowled the game,' Salvi added.

Preparation and Acclimatisation

Salvi shed light on the team's pre-tournament preparations, noting that a conditioning camp in Bengaluru following the England series helped the squad adapt to the intense heat and humidity of Dubai. 'Post England, we also had a camp in Bengaluru. So during that period we also worked in that weather, and then we were travelling to Dubai,' he explained.

'I think the conditions currently are hot and humid. But we already knew about it when we came into the tournament. So accordingly we had prepared and trained ourselves, not just physically but mentally as well. We thought that girls got good exposure to the sort of surface which they expected in the practice sessions,' he said. Salvi emphasised that bowlers' workloads have been systematically built from the camp phase itself, ensuring they carry adequate match-readiness into the tournament.

Bowling Unit's Performance and N Sree Charani's Rise

Salvi praised the collective execution of both the pace and spin units in the Thailand win. 'I thought they utilised it really well. If you see in that game, there were pacers also who got the wickets, and there were spinners also who were getting the wickets. In the first 10 overs we were like 100. It's about utilising those conditions well,' he noted.

He reserved particular praise for left-arm spinner N Sree Charani, highlighting her rapid ascent in international rankings. 'I think she is an exceptional talent. She has created an impact from day one, when she stepped into the Indian women's cricket team. One year down the line, you see where she has reached in the rankings as well,' Salvi said. He described her as a bowler who consistently challenges herself in the nets, working on varied match situations at every practice session.

Workload Management and Arundhati Reddy's Progress

With a packed international calendar — encompassing the Women's Asia Cup, a subsequent tournament, and further camps — Salvi stressed that workload management is a collective priority for all bowlers, not just any single individual. 'It's about everyone. It's not only about Renuka in particular — it's about all the bowlers. We are managing their workloads really well,' he said.

On seam-bowling all-rounder Arundhati Reddy, Salvi underlined her commitment to structured skill refinement. 'If you see Arundhati, I have always maintained consistently that she is a very hard-working girl. They are focusing on their strengths primarily and then thinking about the grey areas and maintaining their strengths and probably working on their grey areas during the practice session,' he said. He added that every player steps onto the field — whether in a camp, practice, or match — with a clear, objective-driven plan tailored to her current development phase.

India's clash against Hong Kong-China on Thursday will offer another opportunity to iron out batting inconsistencies before the tournament's knockout stages.