Other teams will be wary of India because of current form: Mithali Raj

Fresh from their triumph in the quadrangular series in Potchefstroom in South Africa, the Indian women cricket team’s attention is now turned towards the ICC Women’s World Cup in England in June-July. The team has a preparatory camp in Mumbai from June 5-10 before embarking on the journey on June 11. Captain Mithali Raj tells G Krishnan in this exclusive interview on the recent triumph in South Africa has been an ideal preparation for the World Cup and the challenges ahead.

Excerpts:

How easy was the Quadrangular series?

Obviously, Ireland and Zimbabwe were no competition. The only team we were looking up to was South Africa. Playing in their backyard was definitely not easy because of the conditions and the wicket. I guess the batters, especially the openers, have done exceptionally well in this series. Usually, we had problems with the openers all these years because we never got the right start. That has changed in this series. It has helped us in terms of confidence and playing as a unit. Having said that, the World Cup is a different scenario, the top teams are in contention for the World Cup, conditions are different. South Africa are ranked fifth at the moment in the World Cup. We have Nos. 1-4 teams like Australia, New Zealand. The positives we can take are the lot of confidence and momentum the team has built on. Individually as players, all of us have done very well. It can only help us in confidence. Getting into the World Cup, we have to start from the beginning. Playing England in England is no easy task.
Now, the teams will be wary of India because of the current form. Psychologically, every team thinks that since we are coming from the series, we are well prepared. Now we have a lot of other players who are match-winners from the qualifiers (in Sri Lanka in February) to now. Now, we have more players to watch for in the Indian team.

What sets other teams like Australia, England apart?

All these teams have more all-rounders in the side like batters who can bowl and vice-versa, which is important in the ODI format. You need to perform in all three departments. It is not just bowling or batting. Fielding is topmost priority for most of these teams. Australia have churned out very good players. Again, it is the way they have been playing in the recent past. When they played against New Zealand, which I was following, they were all scoring 270 and chasing down. That is the standard they have set. Though we lost (by 8 runs) to South Africa (in quadrangular) chasing 270, it is good that we came so close. But, if you have to do very well, that is the target that should be achievable by this team. To beat Australia, New Zealand or England, because they are playing at home, you have to expect somewhere between 270 and 275 because that is the standard they have set. We have come close in this series. That is a positive.
And, in this World Cup, the format is different compared with the edition, which had Super Six. This time, it is league-cum-knock-out, each plays the other once before the semifinals and the final. Even if you have one bad day, you can always make up because you are playing all teams. When you come to semifinal, it is just one game before the final. So, the event is open for anybody. That is the best part of this edition. The way the team is doing, I am just hoping that we don't peak too early. That's happened in last World Cups, when the run-up to the World Cups have been very good, and suddenly in the World Cup, we started to deteriorated.. That is the only apprehension I have. Otherwise, the team has done so well in the last couple of series.

So, did the quadrangular serve as ideal preparation for the World Cup?

Any form of matches before the World Cup is a good preparation. No matter how much you play in the nets, the confidence you get being in the centre and being in the matches are what set up for good preparation for the World Cup.

The quadrangular also saw Jhulan Goswami become the highest wicket-taker in ODIs. How have you seen her grow over the years?

Jhulan’s record was expected because she did not turn for the qualifiers as she was injured. It is a commendable achievement for a fast bowler. She has had a very long career. Usually, fast bowlers have a very short career. She is very hard-working girl, always gives more effort into bowling. When she started, she was raw and had to work very hard to come up. With a lot of years of experience behind her, she bowls with that. She has been the helping Shikha Pandey and Mansi Joshi, the fast bowlers in the side. They look up to her. She helps them with her experience. She is a decent bat down the order, only that she has to apply herself, she does not take batting seriously. She can be very useful in the lower order who can throw her bat around for 20-30 runs.

Deepti Sharma scored 188 against Ireland. How much confidence can she gain, though it came against a lowly side?

Deepti is a youngster and has been playing for a couple of years. From what I saw her in her first series to now, she has improved, she has done reasonably well. She can be a very good prospect for the Indian team. Bowling is an added thing in her armour. She is actually an all-rounder, not a batter who can bowl or a bowler who can bat. She is a pure all-rounder. How she picks up as a player is going to be important for India. Right now, though Ireland is a weak side, for a 19-year-old scoring so much it must have given a lot of self belief going into the World Cup. After that knock, she started to play freely against the South African team. Am sure now she is a more confident batter.

Your own form has been outstanding, scoring at least a half-century whenever you go out to bat. How easy is batting for you?

I have never got an opportunity. From the qualifiers, I have always got a chance to bat against the best sides. It was important for me to deliver. Whatever the matches I get to bat is very crucial. I am happy I have players around me who can step up. They always are confident when I am in the middle. When they have that kind of confidence in me, it is important that I deliver. Since the World Cup is round the corner, it is crucial for my own confidence. I have really worked on my conversion rate from the West Indies series (November 2016). It is important for me to see how it goes. I will be more than happy if I continue this form into the World Cup.

You are 212 runs from being the highest run-getter in ODIs. How keen are you to get there?

A lot of people have been telling me that. I don’t want to burden myself with such expectations. It will divert my focus from what I want to do. As and when it happens, it will happen. Since it is colliding with the World Cup, my priority is the World Cup.

There was change in coach from Purnima Rau to Tushar Arothe just before the quadrangular. How has the team taken to this change?

Tushar has been our fielding coach in 2009-10. Usually, the male coaches have this streak of being not being harsh but hard on the players in terms of expecting results and performances, pushing the girls to show more intensity in our workouts, whether it is training session or practice matches. Whenever we get on to the field, he has made sure the girls are giving their best. Since he has already played in England, I am sure the team will benefit from his experience.

Your own experience of playing in England should come in handy, isn’t it?

It will help us. Usually, we have gone in mid-summer or end of summer. This will be the beginning of summer. We have always gone in July-August while the World Cup is in June-July. I guess since it is an ICC event, am sure they will prepare wickets where people get to see big scores. That’s is the best way you can promote women’s cricket.

With the Indian men’s team already in England to defend their Champions Trophy, how much can you pick from their performances?

Am not sure about the venues they are playing will be similar to where we are playing. It will do us good in terms of weather conditions and how much movement is there. That is what all the teams will look into. Am sure, it will help us give us some feedback when the Champions Trophy starts.