There is no room for an early slip-up as India begin their Women’s World T20 campaign against Pakistan

India’s T20 World Cup journey begins with a clash against Pakistan in Birmingham. Despite having a strong historical record against their opponents, the Indian team captained by Harmanpreet Kaur is emphasizing focus. (Photo/IANS) BENGALURU: The cross-border cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan may have lost some of its unpredictability over the years, with India enjoying tremendous success at ICC events, but Harmanpreet Kaur and her team know there is little room for complacency when they open their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday. India enter the Group 1 competition with an impressive 13-3 head-to-head record against the Fatima Sana-led side. But in a tough pool that also includes Australia and South Africa, the ODI world champions cannot afford to slip up early.A winning start could prove to be crucial in the fight for a semi-final spot.Meanwhile, Pakistan arrived with far less preparation. Their T20 series against Zimbabwe last month was their only assignment in the format in over two years before they traveled to Europe. Defeats to Scotland and Sri Lanka in the warm-up matches further dented their build-up. Even so, India will be wary of underestimating their neighbors in what could be a tricky encounter at Edgbaston. India will be hoping that openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma start the powerplay with a bang before Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet and Bharti Fulmali start building on the platform.The bowling attack is expected to lean heavily on the spin unit, which could play a crucial role in English conditions. Pakistan’s batting will largely depend on captain Fatima Sana and the top trio of Muneeba Ali, Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar.Ahead of the campaign, India head coach Amol Muzumdar stressed that while the ODI World Cup triumph had given them confidence, the change in format required a fresh mindset. “It is a completely different format (T20). Yes, we have won the World Cup in ODIs, but this is a brand new format and we are looking forward to it. One thing I can assure you is that we will take a lot from this World Cup into this tournament because we know we can cross the line,” Muzumdar said.