Last Updated:
Though India have made positive start to their ICC Women’s World Cup campaign, their batters are yet to hit the high notes.
Smriti Mandhana has scored 8 and 31 in the first two India matches. (PTI Photo)
A balanced pitch offering significant support to batters will welcome the Indian team, struggling to excel in the ongoing Women’s World Cup, for their crucial matches against Australia and South Africa.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will play South Africa on Thursday and the defending champions Australia on October 12 at the ACA-VDCA stadium. This venue is hosting a women’s ODI after 11 years, the last being India’s match against Sri Lanka on January 23, 2014.
“The pitch will offer good help to batters, if you look at the last few matches, including the IPL, here. The bowlers, especially spinners if there is no dew, will have some help as the match goes on,” an Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) official told PTI.
High scores have generally been seen in T20Is here, with both India men and Delhi Capitals (in the IPL) successfully chasing 200-plus targets. In men’s ODIs, India’s 387/5 against the West Indies in 2019 is the highest total at this stadium, which has also witnessed four totals in excess of 320 and six totals between 280 and 299. The Indian women’s team will welcome these stats after laboring to scores of 269 for eight (vs Sri Lanka) and 247 (vs Pakistan) at Guwahati and Colombo respectively in the ICC event.
Stands After Mithali And Kalpana
Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana will have stands named after them at the ACA-VDCA stadium on October 12 ahead of India’s match against Australia. This decision came after India opener Smriti Mandhana suggested it to Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh during the “Breaking the Boundaries” fireside chat in August. “The ACA’s tribute to Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana reflects a deep commitment to honouring the trailblazers who have redefined women’s cricket in India while inspiring the next generation to dream bigger,” the ACA said in a statement.
Mithali scored 7805 runs from 232 ODIs at an average of 50.68 with seven centuries, while her 89 T20Is yielded 2364 runs with 17 fifties. She also played 12 Tests, scoring 699 runs at an average of 43.68 before retiring in 2022. “Smriti Mandhana’s thoughtful suggestion captured a wider public sentiment. Translating that idea into immediate action reflects our collective commitment to gender parity and to acknowledging the trailblazers of women’s cricket,” said Minister Lokesh.
Kalpana played seven ODIs between 2015 and 2016, but her rise to the Indian team has inspired several cricketers from the region, such as Arundhati Reddy, S Meghana, and N Sri Charani.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
October 07, 2025, 10:56 IST
Read More
