"There's no explanation" - Smriti Mandhana on India’s inconsistent batting in Women’s World Cup 2022

India Women’s opener Smriti Mandhana has admitted that there’s “no explanation” for the team’s highly inconsistent batting performances in the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2022.

India posted their highest total in the Women’s World Cup during their clash against West Indies in Hamilton last week. With 317/8 on the board on the back of hundreds from Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, India thrashed Windies by 144 runs.

However, in their very next game, they collapsed to 134 all-out as England beat them by four wickets.

Speaking ahead of India’s crucial clash against Australia on Saturday, Mandhana failed to find any reason for the team’s inconsistent batting. She said:

"There's no explanation. Well, if I had an explanation, I would have definitely discussed in the team dressing room, but I wouldn't say there's any explanation because you cannot really… there's no explanation we can give for something like that.”

The loss to England has made India’s qualification path tougher as they had earlier gone down to hosts New Zealand by 62 runs. Regarding India’s batting woes, Mandhana said:

"In the series (against New Zealand last month), our batters were really doing well. We were getting a good total on board. But, yeah, in the last four matches, our batting unit together hasn't clicked and that's something which we all really want to work on, and I'm sure there will be a perfect game for the batters.”

The 25-year-old stated that the bowlers are doing an amazing job and need a little more support from the batters to get more wins on the board.

“We have been losing wickets back to back” - Smriti Mandhana

Although India have won two of their four matches in the Women’s World Cup 2022 so far, they have lost wickets in a bunch, hurting their momentum. The elegant left-hander conceded that the batters need to be more judicious in their approach. On this, she said:

"It's not that every day all the seven batters are going to click. So, our thing is, whoever two or three (batters) are getting to time the ball well, it's their responsibility to play the 50 years and get to a respectable total."

Underlining the need to build good partnerships, Mandhana said:

"We have been losing wickets back to back and that's something which we, as a batting unit, want to address. Fifty-overs (cricket) is all about partnerships, good partnerships, so we definitely want to work on it. As set batters, it's more responsibility on that batter to take the game forward from that time when you know you're able to time the ball well.”

The India-Australia match will be played at the Eden Park in Auckland, where there is forecast for rain. India are currently in fourth position in the points table, below Australia, South Africa and West Indies.