Harmanpreet Kaur positive about the Aussie challenge
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Indian skipper emphasized the significance of the series, especially as it forms part of their preparation for the upcoming ICC Women's ODI World Cup on home soil.
India Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her excitement and optimism ahead of their three-match ODI series against Australia and reflected on the thrill of playing Down Under.
"It’s always a great feeling playing in Australia. We all love playing cricket here. We had two days of training and tried to get ourselves fit as soon as possible. Feeling good, everyone is looking in good shape," she said.
Kaur underlined the importance of the 50-over format, noting its special significance for the Indian team ahead of next year’s ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.
"ODI is a format where we all enjoy more than other formats. It's always something you're looking forward to. Especially, the upcoming World Cup is in India, and Australia are somebody who play really good cricket wherever they go. It's a great platform to go and play well against them."
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The series against Australia serves as a crucial benchmark for assessing India’s strengths and weaknesses as they gear up for the World Cup action on home soil.
"It's a very important series for us. We're all looking forward to winning this series. Whenever we play, we always look to win and this is the same for us. We just want to go out there and enjoy the cricket," said Kaur.
India currently occupy the third position in the 2022-25 ICC Women’s Championship and have already secured their spot at next year’s World Cup as the host nation.
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Furthermore, Kaur spoke about the importance of testing various team combinations in preparation for next year’s marquee event.
"All the games are important for us, and we just want to go out there and try our combinations and see whoever is doing well and give them more opportunities. At the same time, upcoming players who are doing really well, we want to give them a chance," Kaur said.
“All the players who can do well in home conditions, we'll look to pick those players when we're playing the World Cup.”
India’s last assignment in ODI cricket saw them come out on top against the White Ferns by a 2-1 margin on home soil in October.