Amol Muzumdar looked almost relieved when he fronted up to media on Tuesday afternoon. India have lost three on the bounce at this World Cup, and every selection call is being pulled apart. The biggest of those came against England, when Jemimah Rodrigues was left out for an extra seamer.
“To be fair, Jemi [Rodrigues] has been a very important player, an integral part of this side we have built,” Muzumdar said. “Sometimes you just have to take those tough calls. That game, particularly against England, required the sixth bowling option, given the ground of Indore and the [high-scoring] conditions over there, we thought six bowling options would be a better call on that particular day and for that particular match.”
Rodrigues has 65 runs in four knocks, two of them ducks. Renuka Singh, who replaced her, went wicket-less but did lengthen the attack. Muzumdar did not hide from the angst. “It was a tough call, there is no doubt about it,” he continued. “One of the toughest decisions, but sometimes tough calls do need to be taken. She took it really nicely and very sportingly.”
Those words felt genuine. Team insiders say Rodrigues threw on a bib straight after the toss and spent most of the match running drinks, talking to Kranti Gaud about slower balls, still grinning when Mandhana reached her fifty. Muzumdar hinted that reward may come quickly. Rodrigues had a long net on Monday, tinkering with her drives, and the coach will wait until match-day morning to finalise the XI for New Zealand.
Key facts first: India sit mid-table, six points, net run-rate slipping. They have squandered solid positions against South Africa, Australia and England – 197 for 3 became 244 all out in one of them – and no batter has passed 100. Six fifties have been registered; none converted.
“I think a home World Cup, of course, there has to be some kind of pressure. But this side, this particular side is well-equipped to handle that. We’ve built a side around it and I think all the players are well-equipped to handle pressure,” Muzumdar said, almost nodding to himself as he went.
The pressure is clearest on Gaud. Still 20, the right-armer keeps leaking at the death after promising new-ball spells. “[Gaud] had not much of experience in international cricket, but that’s the stage we are in. She’s been the spearhead of the fast bowlers in the team. And we’ve had several discussions, we’ve not left any stone unturned with regards to discussion and taking the load off her.”
Selection debate is dominating chat-shows, but the run-making issue matters more. Smriti Mandhana (88) and Harmanpreet Kaur (70) added 125 against England before both miscued. In modern one-day cricket, sides often expect at least one century if they want 280-plus.
“We are well aware that a three-figure mark hasn’t come this World Cup. But if you look at the past year-and-a-half, the 18 months that have passed before the World Cup, we’ve had definitely a lot of hundreds that we’ve seen than ever before. I don’t think there is a lot of load on anyone. But we’ve had honest discussions about it. And the players also have been honest that, ‘Yes, instead of a fifty, we could have converted that into a hundred’. They are aware of it. And I’m hopeful that it will come in the next couple of games.”
There is optimism behind the scenes that the Indore wobble was a one-off. Net sessions this week have featured simulated death overs, Mandhana practising yorker scoops, even Deepti Sharma testing a reverse-lap. The only firm tactical hint was Muzumdar’s repeated mention of “sixth bowler”. That likely means a straight fight between Rodrigues and any one of the all-round options for the final spot.
Analytically, India’s bowling economy (5.6) is respectable, but wickets have dried up after the 35th over. Batting strike-rate (83) remains below the tournament median of 87. Those small margins explain the narrow defeats. As one analyst in the camp put it: “We’re playing 80-90% games, not 100% ones.”
The coach’s empathy shows when asked how supporters should feel. “Fans need to temper expectations with India,” he smiled, then quickly added that no player was hiding from responsibility. The message is light on theatrics, heavy on calm.
Rodrigues will know all about tough calls by now. Whether she walks out at Hamilton on Thursday could shape India’s semi-final push. Either way, Muzumdar has made it clear: the door remains wide open, even if the dressing-room bench feels cramped tonight.
