India will open their World Cup campaign on March 6. © Getty
Veteran India Women's captain Mithali Raj has called for her side to play according to the situation in the World Cup instead of laying a lot of emphasis on the strike rate. Speaking to the media ahead of the team's departure to New Zealand where they will play a solitary T20I and five ODIs before the World Cup, the Indian skipper pointed out the need for someone from the top order to bat deep into the innings in order to put up substantial scores.

"Too much importance is being given to the strike rate by you all," she started. "I just wanted to know if you follow the strike rate of only the India players or the players from the other teams. In the Australia series itself, the game that Australia won, the decider, Beth Mooney scored her fifty off 80 odd balls. But she went on to play a match-winning innings for her team. So as per me, I believe that cricket is a game played on situations on the ground.

Since the last World Cup, amongst Indian batters to have scored at least 200 runs in the format, only Smriti Mandhana has a strike rate above 70, sparking concerns over India's ability to accelerate.

"Yes, it is important that we keep that in mind that we need to have a healthy strike rate," Mithali said. "But at the end of the day it is how our batting unit evolves, and the depth of the batting unit in our team. When we have to score 250-270 we need to have a healthy strike rate but having said that, we will not only entirely focus on strike rate. It is important to play an innings to win and build partnerships. And that happens not because of strike rate but you apply and play according to the situation on the ground. Sometimes you have to play fast but sometimes you have to play get the team out of the hole too.

"There will always be areas to address, (for) any team. No team is perfect and we will be looking at putting up a total like 250-270, and that requires the top order to score runs and be consistent. Something which we were quite happy about is the contribution of our lower order. Jhulan, Pooja Vastrakar has done well since coming to the squad. Not only performing with the ball, also with the bat. Sneh Rana, who's an allrounder, has performed both with ball and bat. It is good to see the lower middle order contributing. So that helps to have depth in our team, and a smaller tail."

India selectors have opted to drop Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues and Powar stressed the side is not going to miss the experience of the two players. "At the end of it the five selectors, captain, coach, they have discussed all the players and we came out with the 18 players who can play better in the New Zealand series as well as the World Cup," he pointed out. "You cannot pick everyone, there's only 15 and then three stand-bys.

"We were looking at particular things - like fast bowlers like Renuka, Meghana, they were doing well and they are going to get their chances in upcoming matches. The batting unit was consistent - Yasthika, Smriti, Mithali. So we didn't change much and at the end of it, seven of us are getting together, picking the right team and backing the players, that matters. And every player knows. Whoever is not in the team, they know why they are not there. We have communicated it in the last six months. I was very clear about this. I've told them specifically what is expected out of them and at the end of it, it is a competitive profession where you have to perform. If you don't perform then you don't get your chances."

One of the key talking points has been the form of Harmanpreet Kaur. Since the 2017 World Cup, the batter has scored 543 runs in 29 matches at an average of 28.57 and has only two half-centuries. To silence her critics, Harmanpreet made 406 runs in the Women's Big Bash League 2021-22 in 13 matches and picked 15 wickets for Melbourne Renegades. "I think it's important to back your players and that's what we do on this team and once you are selected in this team, we look at the present and the future. As far as Harman is concerned, she just came out of the WBBL as the player of the tournament. It's up to her to capitalize her good days into best days at the World Cup," Powar said about the batter, who on her day can bat the opposition out of the contest.

India will start their New Zealand tour with the lone T20I in Napier on February 9 while the ODIs will be played between February 11-24. India open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on March 6.