The upcoming Women's Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, presents a crucial opportunity for India to solidify their plans ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October. As the defending champions, India aims to retain their title while addressing the conundrum of their number three batting position and determining the ideal batting order for Jemimah Rodrigues.
Jemimah Rodrigues, India's former number three batter in T20Is, missed the T20I tour of Bangladesh due to a back injury. In her absence, all-rounder Dayalan Hemalatha has occupied the number three slot, showcasing her strong bottom-hand and big-hitting skills against spinners.
The question remains: who will become India's number three batter in the Asia Cup? Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes it would be fair for Jemimah to return to her previous position. She highlights Jemimah's versatility as an opener and her ability to adapt to different batting positions.
Despite being a long-time number three batter for India, Jemimah has demonstrated adaptability by scoring an unbeaten 53 off 30 balls as a number five batter in the series opener against South Africa at Chennai. Her power-packed shots and ability to move across the crease add firepower to the Indian middle-order.
Anjum suggests that the number three position could depend on the team's starting lineup and the availability of an all-rounder. If India plays with an all-rounder, Jemimah could bat at three. However, if not, she could still occupy the position.
Anjum personally prefers captain Harmanpreet Kaur to bat at number three but acknowledges that Harman may prefer her usual number four position. She emphasizes the importance of having Harman and Jemimah bat alongside each other, either at three and four or four and three.
After the third T20I at Chennai, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana stated that playing Hemalatha at number three was a calculated move, potentially allowing Harmanpreet and Jemimah to remain at four and five respectively.
However, Anjum believes that Hemalatha is not the ideal batter at number three, arguing that the team should field their best batter as early as possible. She suggests that Jemimah, Harman, or Richa Ghosh should be promoted to the top order, with Pooja Vastrakar potentially taking up a finisher role.
Tags: #WomensAsiaCup, #India, #JemimahRodrigues, #DayalanHemalatha, #BattingOrder
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