'The top order has to fire' - India think-tank wants more from batters at the top

 India skipper Mithali Raj and batting mentor Shiv Sunder Das have highlighted a requirement for better gets back from their top request assuming they are to "dive deep" in the 2022 ODI World Cup. Talking after India's bungled pursue against New Zealand in Hamilton, Das said he accepts India can accomplish this, given their "batting capability".

"We thought it was chaseable yet given we had the top request going," Raj said at her post-match interview after India, pursuing 261, were bowled out for 198 in the 47th over. "In any case, consecutive wickets put a great deal of strain since we didn't have player who can take it profound."

India's 62-run rout was the second time their shortcomings as a batting unit were uncovered. In their initial win against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, lower-request appearances from Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar rescued India. Against a strategically predominant New Zealand, No. 5 Harmanpreet Kaur's 71 off 63 appeared to be a waste of time as the expected run rate expanded to more than seven by the twentieth over mark. To exacerbate the situation, the resistance fended breaking off with discontinuous strikes.

In both matches, India's powerplay scoring was a worry. They made 33 for 1 against Pakistan and, surprisingly, less against New Zealand: 26 for 2, their most minimal beginning around 2017 across 17 ODIs where overs were not diminished. "The top request needs to fire," Das said after the match. "We have the batting capability to dive deep in the competition."

Tweaking the make-up of their main three didn't altogether work on their general execution. World Cup debutant Yastika Bhatia came in for the run-dried Shafali Verma however and still, after all that India were scratchy up top.

"She got a fair opportunity for the last seven-eight games and we figured we could [give her] a touch of break," Das said, when gotten some information about Verma's prohibition. "She is a skilled player and I trust in this break she gets moving and ideally she returns more grounded in the [next] few games."