On-a-roll India look to confirm final-four berth

Overview
India v Ireland
WT20 Match 13
Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Ireland have promised much, but on the field, it has just not come together for the lowest-ranked of the 10 participating teams at the ICC Women’s World T20 2018.

Losses in their first two games to Australia and Pakistan have left the Irish clutching at straws. Their stated aim at the World T20 was to win at least one match – they had identified the tie against Pakistan as their best chance – and try to ensure direct qualification for the next edition of the World T20. That hasn’t happened, and against India first and then New Zealand, it will be tough.

That said, Lucy O’Reilly, with 3/19 from her four overs, and batters Clare Shillington (27 in 25) and Isobel Joyce (30 in 31) gave good accounts of themselves in the game against Pakistan, and similar performances from them, and the others, will not only help build their own reputations but might also make life difficult for the high-flying Indians.

On the other side of the divide are India. Top teams have top players, and the top players make the difference in big matches. For India, Harmanpreet Kaur did it in the opener against New Zealand with a blazing century – 103 in just 51 balls – and Mithali Raj took charge in the second, against Pakistan, hitting 56 in 47 to lead the team past the moderate target of 134.

Kaur and Raj won the Player of the Match awards for those two fixtures, justifiably, but there were other star turns too.

Jemimah Rodrigues’ 45-ball 59 against New Zealand, when the spin trio of D Hemalatha, Radha Yadav and Poonam Yadav combined to return 12-0-90-8 as well; in the game against Pakistan, Hemalatha and Poonam picked up two wickets each again, while Smriti Mandhana showed signs of form with a 28-ball 26.

Things look good for India, especially with New Zealand losing two in two, but they must guard against complacency. Most people expect them to win and make it three in three. Ireland can not only do their cause a world of good, but play party-poopers for Kaur’s team by punching above their weight in this one.

Key players

**Smriti Mandhana (India):**Of the Indian big three of Raj, Kaur and Mandhana, the youngest one hasn’t quite gotten going yet. Can she? Of course – remember the Women’s Cricket Super League this year? Will she? Who can tell? She hasn’t had a big knock since scoring 72 for India A against Australia A in late October, and was patchy before that too. It’ll do her, and her team, a world of good if she can bat long in this one.

**Lucy O’Reilly (Ireland):**She was the best of the bowlers against Pakistan, sending back Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz and Bismah Maroof in an outstanding last over even as her team lost. She’s still only 19, has a big future ahead of her, and will want to perform against a premier team – nothing better to add to a growing reputation.

Conditions

We’re still in Guyana, where the forecast is of heavy rain, even thundershowers, but the action has gone on without too much fuss so far. One hopes that is the case again for this game. There have been runs on the pitch, and both teams will want to make the most of that.

Squads

**India:**Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Tanya Bhatia, Ekta Bisht, Dayalan Hemalatha, Mansi Joshi, Veda Krishnamurthy, Smriti Mandhana, Anuja Patil, Mithali Raj, Arundathi Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav

**Ireland:**Laura Delany (captain), Kim Garth, Cecelia Joyce, Isobel Joyce, Shauna Kavanagh, Amy Kenealy, Gaby Lewis, Lara Maritz, Ciara Metcalfe, Lucy O’Reilly, Celeste Raack, Eimear Richardson, Clare Shillington, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron