India tour of Australia – Shafali Verma dropped; Richa Ghosh, Priya Punia return

Online Editor "Valley Vision" 3 days ago

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Opener Shafali Verma has been dropped from India’s squad for the three ODIs on the tour of Australia due to a poor run of form, while wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh has returned to the side after missing the home ODIs against New Zealand due to her board exams.

There were call-ups for batters Priya Punia, batting allrounder Harleen Deol, offspinner Minnu Mani, and fast bowler Titas Sadhu, who are all part of the 16-member squad for the three ODIs in Brisbane and Perth on December 5, 8 and 11.

Shafali has not been able to crack ODIs for some time now – she has just 108 runs at an average of 18 in six games this year. The last time she was dropped in the 50-over format – after the first of the three-match series against Australia at home in December 2023 – Yastika Bhatia opened the batting with Smriti Mandhana, while Ghosh batted at No. 3. In Shafali’s absence, Yastika might open again, with Punia auditioning for the No. 3 spot.

Punia has played three ODIs since 2023, and made a comeback against South Africa in June this year on the back of impressive domestic performances. She featured only in the final ODI against South Africa, and was then part of the India A tour of Australia in August, when she didn’t find much success. However, Punia was dropped for the New Zealand series in Ahmedabad in October, where Yastika batted at No.3. Even D Hemalatha, who wasn’t picked for the Australia series, played three ODIs this year at Nos. 3 and 4, but failed to hold on to her spot.

Apart from Hemalatha, also missing from the squad are offspinner Shreyanka Patil, uncapped seamer Sayali Satghare, and back-up wicketkeeper Uma Chetry.

Deol is another familiar name back in the fold after almost a year. The middle-order batter has played only ten ODIs since her debut in 2019 and scored two fifties, but was never given a sustained run in the format. Her last ODI was also against Australia, at home last year.

Meanwhile, Sadhu, who, like Mani, has featured in nine T20Is but is yet to play an ODI, will be the back-up fast bowler, with Renuka Singh and Arundhati Reddy leading the attack that also has seamer Saima Thakor, who had made her debut against New Zealand.

Legspinner Asha Sobhana, who had missed the New Zealand series because of injury, continues to be unavailable, while allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, who was rested against New Zealand, is absent too. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis and legspinner Priya Mishra, who also made their debuts against New Zealand and had notable performances, have retained their spots to face Australia.

The likes of Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika and Deepti Sharma are already in Australia, as they are playing in the WBBL.

Harmanpreet Kaur and co will head into the ODIs against Australia on the back of a 2-1 victory against New Zealand, while Australia last played ODIs in March, and beat Bangladesh 2-1 in Mirpur. The ODIs against India will be part of the Championship, where Australia and England are the joint table-toppers. India, as hosts, qualify automatically for the 2025 World Cup.

India’s squad for ODIs against Australia

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur and Saima Thakor