02 June,2021 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Ramesh Powar; (right) Shafali Verma. Pic/AFP
India's women's team head coach Ramesh Powar, who guided the Prithvi Shaw-led Mumbai outfit to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title last March, is geared up for his second innings as coach of the Indian women's team.
A Mithali Raj-led Indian team will play one Test, after a gap of seven years, at Bristol from June 16 followed by three ODIs, starting on June 27, at the same venue. Thereafter, Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the team in three T20Is, from July 9, at Northampton.
On the eve of the team's departure to England on Tuesday, Powar predicted that young batting sensation Shafali Verma will emerge as a transformed player after this tour.
Shafali, 17, has scored 617 runs in 22 T20Is so far, and is awaiting her Test and ODI debut. The Indian team will be playing this Test without a practice game, but Powar is confident of Shafali's talent.
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"It all depends on how she [Shafali] handles the practice sessions [in England]. We have done some great things with Prithvi when he played the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai. You wait and watch. You might just see a different Shafali after a month and a half. Every player in this tour will make a difference. Shafali is a special talent. We will explore different combinations to help us win matches," Powar said at the virtual press conference.
Powar, 43, who represented the country in two Tests and 31 ODIs as an off-spinner, reckoned the mental aspect will be key in England. "It is not an ideal world [given the global COVID-19 situation], but we are looking at the brighter side. We are playing Tests, ODIs and T20Is and it's a long tour of 45 days. The mental make-up of players will make a huge difference. In my last assignment [with Mumbai], I tried that and it paid dividends. I have done it with the Mumbai team where we only had six sessions and they reacted positively in the tournament," added Powar.
Mithali, 38, who has 10 Tests, 214 ODIs and 89 T20Is under her belt, said: "It's good to have Tests, whether it's home or away. If there's continuity, it's great because it helps players as well. Sometimes it's nice to go in without any baggage. You just go in, play and enjoy the atmosphere."
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