Women’s World Cup T20: India look to finish against Netherlands ahead of tougher tests

Deepti Sharma’s five-wicket masterclass ensured India started their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign on the right note, but Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will know there is still room for improvement when they take on T20 World Cup debutants Netherlands in their second group match at Headingley on Wednesday.India’s target will go beyond getting two more points. This is a chance to tighten a few gaps, give the batting group more time in the middle and gain momentum ahead of the tougher challenges that lie ahead later in the league stage. The match against Pakistan eventually turned into a comfortable 64-run win, but in some parts of the contest, India were made to work harder than the final margin suggested. Pakistan reached 52/1 in the overs while chasing 171, a phase which underlined India’s need for early control with the ball.Against stronger sides, such starts could become more expensive.The batting unit also has unfinished business. Smriti Mandhana produced a composed 68 at the top while Richa Ghosh again showed her ability to line up in the latter stages with a brisk cameo. Harmanpreet contributed 36 but India will still want more from the line-up as a whole. Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and the middle order players will be eager to spend valuable time in the middle and get into a rhythm as the tournament picks up pace.If the batting and fielding left room for improvement, the spin department offered plenty of encouragement. Deepti turned the match against Pakistan decisively in India’s favor with career-best figures of 5/10, while young left-arm spinner Shree Charani continued her impressive start to international cricket with three wickets. Together they gave India control and a wicket-taking threat that could remain central to their campaign.Meanwhile, the pace attack is still looking for an early breakthrough. Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Gaud failed to make a decisive hit with the new ball against Pakistan and will want to push harder against the less experienced Dutch batting.A second win in a row is expected. However, India will be looking for a performance that leaves fewer questions unanswered.