Former India captain Mithali Raj believes Harleen Deol could be promoted to the opening slot in India’s semifinal clash against Australia on Thursday should opener Pratika Rawal fail to recover from her ankle injury in time. India were dealt a major scare when Rawal, fielding at deep midwicket, twisted her right ankle on the final ball of the 21st over during the match against Bangladesh on Sunday. Her foot got stuck on the damp outfield at the DY Patil Stadium, resulting in an unfortunate injury.
“The question now is who opens with Smriti if Pratika isn’t fit to take the field on the 30th. The first option could be promoting number three, Harleen, since she’s often walked in early and is comfortable facing the new ball,” Mithali said on JioStar. With Rawal nursing her injury, India experimented by sending all-rounder Amanjot Kaur to open the innings against Bangladesh, a move that left Mithali puzzled. The former skipper felt that the match presented an ideal opportunity for Harleen to establish a partnership with opener Smriti Mandhana.
“Ideally, today was a great opportunity for Harleen to open and build that equation with Smriti, assuming Pratika might not be available. If Pratika is fit, the same batting line-up continues. “But sending Amanjot to open was something I didn’t quite understand. Yes, she needed some time out in the middle, but perhaps she could’ve slotted in at number three instead of opening,” she added.
Rawal, 25, has been in stellar form throughout the tournament, amassing 308 runs from six innings at an average of 51.33, including a century. Mithali also suggested an alternative in wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, who replaced Richa Ghosh against Bangladesh. However, her inclusion in the semifinal XI could depend on team balance. “The other option is Uma Chetry, but if Richa Ghosh returns as wicketkeeper, then Uma might sit out.”
