Without Niranjana, India mess things up against Lanka

Let’s take nothing away from the Sri Lanka batters today. They’ve played brilliantly, scraping quick singles and getting the placing right every time they aimed for a boundary to take their team to 285 for 5. India were left with a trick chase – needing 251 needed to stay in Women’s World Cup in 2013–and failed. And one of the reasons that India were knocked out of the World Cup was their India’s bowling was terrible. And one of the prime reasons for that could be leaving out Niranjana Nagarajan from the starting XI in place of Subhlakshmi Sharma. After the match, Mithali Raj explained the change : “Niranjana was taking wickets, but she was expensive too. So we thought we should play a new bowler who would be raring to go.” But if it was a case of giving someone a chance, then they could have even left out Amita Sharma rather than put a break in the consistency Niranjana was building up. Niranjana was India’s top wicket-taker (not counting the SL match), finishing with 3/52 against the West Indies and 2/56 against England. She’s a tad expensive, but she gets the wickets– something that India could have really done with today. [caption id=“attachment_614845” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Niranjana has been one of India’s top wicket-takers in the Women’s World Cup. ICC/Solaris Images[/caption] Niranjana has by far been the most aggressive bowler for India. She also has a knack to get the important ones. She dismissed Shamaine Campbelle, Deandra Dottin and skipper Merissa Aguilleira against the Windies and got rid of Jenny Gunn and Laura Marsh when the English lower middle-order was clobbering the Indian attack. She also contributed to the vital run-out of England captain Charlotte Edwards. Replacement Shubhlakshmi Sharma was lackluster in comparison. While certainly looking menacing in her Denis Lillee style headband, she didn’t trouble the Lankans at all. On a batting track like this, it’s not about line and length – it’s about the variation. Overall, it’s been a mixed performance from India in the tournament. In one match their batsmen clicked (against WI), the other match the bowlers clicked (till about 30 overs against England) and their fielding was comparatively impressive against the Lankans. But if only one area clicks in every game, then winnings matches becomes hard–and India now find themselves sitting out of a World Cup they are hosting. It will be unfair to write off Shubhlakhsmi though. It was just her third ODI, but it would probably have served better to play Niranjana in a match which they needed to win. India will now play Pakistan in the 7th/8th place play-off.