CHELMSFORD: India will look to regain consistency and finalise their combination in the final dress rehearsal for next month's women's T20 World Cup when they take on hosts England in a three-match series starting here on Thursday.
With the global event set to begin on June 12, the tour assumes added significance for Harmanpreet Kaur's side, which has shown flashes of brilliance over the past year but has struggled to maintain momentum consistently.
India's preparations for the T20 World Cup have been a mixed bag. They began strongly with a commanding 5-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka at home last December before scripting history in Australia by clinching a 2-1 T20I series victory, their first bilateral series win there in a decade.
The triumph in Australia was seen as a major step forward for a side that has often struggled overseas, especially in pressure situations. The batters' aggressive approach and the bowlers' discipline offered encouraging signs in the lead-up to the World Cup.
However, the momentum dropped during the subsequent South Africa tour where India endured a disappointing 1-4 defeat in conditions that exposed several concerns ahead of the marquee tournament.
The batting lacked consistency, the middle order struggled to finish games, and the bowling attack failed to deliver regularly in crunch moments as India looked out of rhythm for most of the series.
The England series thus gives India the opportunity to work on these aspects before their opening T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on June 14.
Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Goud and Arundhati Reddy are expected to share the pace-bowling responsibilities, while the team management could also look at giving rookie Nandini Sharma some game time after the youngster impressed with her fast-bowling skills in the Women's Premier League.
With India's pacers struggling in South Africa and conditions in England expected to assist seam bowling, the visitors' pace attack will need to be far more disciplined and alert from the outset.
There are positives, though, with Radha Yadav and Yastika Bhatia returning to the squad after missing the South Africa series.
Bhatia, India's first-choice wicketkeeper, had been sidelined due to an ACL injury, while Radha's return adds valuable experience to the spin department that also features Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil.
India will also draw confidence from their tour of England last year when they secured their first-ever bilateral T20I series victory on English soil with a 3-2 triumph over the hosts.
Harmanpreet said adjusting to the pitches will be the challenge for the Indian team and not the conditions.
"We love playing in England conditions because of the weather, it is quite easy for us. The only challenge is the pitches because we are not used to these kind of pitches but this series will give us little bit of confidence and experience before the T20 World Cup," Harmanpreet told reporters on the eve of the series opener.
England, on the other hand, head into the series after a dominant showing against New Zealand but will miss regular skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who is continuing her recovery from a calf injury.
The hosts, however, have been boosted by the return of star batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge following the birth of her first child.
England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones said her side is expecting a lot of spin threat from India.
“(Playing against) India, you'd probably expect a lot more spin and they have got some brilliant spinners and a lot of firepower with the bat as well so that is what we are planning for,” Jones told the media.
Teams (from):
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Nandni Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.
England: Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean (C), Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Paige Scholfield, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Issy Wong.
Match starts 11pm IST.