NZ series an opportunity to bring the focus back on cricket: Mithali

"What has happened has happened and we should move on. Cricket has taught me to move on." © Getty

India Women's tour of New Zealand has more context than what's visible to the eye. Not only is this India's first visit to the country since 2006, where they will try to lift themselves from the lowly fifth position on the ICC Women's Championship points table, but it's also a new start for them as a team. A new head coach in WV Raman, and Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur back in the same dressing room after sparring over Ramesh Powar presents challenges as well as opportunities.

"What has happened has happened and we should move on. Cricket has taught me to move on," Mithali said on Tuesday (January 22). "I am definitely looking forward to the series because it is very important to get back the focus on the sport and team performance and this is an opportunity for us.

"As professional cricketers, everybody understands what it takes to play at the international level. You are here representing our country in one-dayers and you would want to do your best and you would want the team to get together play as a unit because that is what it will give you result."

Mithali and Jhulan Goswami are the only two players with prior experience in New Zealand, but the India captain is confident that they have a team skilled enough to make up for the lack of experience. "Right now, all of us are in good form whether Smriti Mandhana or Harmanpreet Kaur or the young Jemimah Rodrigues who's been among the runs. We have got very good middle-order as well in terms of Hemalatha and Deepti Sharma, who is an all-rounder," Mithali said. "They get the bowling into the picture too. So, overall I think all of them at some point or other have played a match-winning performance for the team. And the team doesn't definitely on me completely but as an experienced batter, I do have the responsibility to get the batting unit to perform.

"All of us are coming from match practice, whether it is a domestic season or a couple of girls from the WBBL. We came a week early to get adapted to the conditions. We had a practice game. Girls are in great shape because we had a few outdoor nets and we are looking forward to the series."

India haven't had a great travelling record, but Mithali thinks that India have come a long way and that their performance in the recent ICC tournaments are there for everyone to see. "Our campaigns, be it at the World Cup or T20 World Cup, it has been an away tour. We have played in England conditions, in the West Indies, now touring New Zealand. Girls have come prepared; most of them though for New Zealand conditions they might be inexperienced, otherwise the team is an experienced lot who has been together for 4-5 years. I do not think we are 'troubled tourists'."

New Zealand as a cricketing venue is different because of the small grounds, which massively plays a role in the lines and lengths you have to bowl, and then there's the wind factor. The pitches aren't going to turn much either, but Mithali is confident that there's more to her spinners than just the ability to spin deliveries across the bat. "We definitely look forward to acclimatising to the conditions at the earliest so that it does not pose that much a threat when we take on the field," Mithali said. "We don't think that much about the ground dimensions but the wind will be a factor, whether it's batting or bowling or fielding. We did speak about it. Not the topmost thing on our mind but we are training accordingly to try and manoeuvre the conditions and get the best out of it.

"Spinners have always been our strength. They have bowled in different conditions and on different tracks, and they do know how to bowl in the areas if they do not get that much of turn. It will be a challenge for them but that is where experience counts."

The last couple of years have been a great advert for women's cricket, and this series will go on a long way in showcasing where it is, especially with all the ready-made attention from the simultaneous India men's tour of New Zealand. "The series is really significant," New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite said, "not only in terms of having the men around as well but also in terms of showcasing where we are as a team in being able to show the whole country and the world the cricket we are playing and also getting women's cricket out there more and more. We have seen over the last couple of years, it's gone from strength to strength around the globe, so it's exciting to be in your own backyard and showcase it."