Following their historic T20I series win against England, India Women will now turn their focus to a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against the hosts, beginning July 16, 2025.
As the One-Day International series approached, opener Pratika Rawal and batter Tejal Hasabnis joined the Indian squad, arriving while the team was still engaged in the T20I series.
In a conversation shared by BCCI Women on X (formerly Twitter), both ODI call-ups expressed their excitement ahead of their maiden tour of England. Pratika Rawal, who has enjoyed a promising start at the highest level, said she felt composed ahead of the series and believed she was managing her nerves well.
The new India opener, who has scored 638 runs at an impressive average of 63.8 in the 11 ODIs she has played so far and appears to be in good form, said, “I came on the 6th of July, and it has been a good 6-7 days here. I had my first net session in Manchester, and when I was batting there, I sensed that the ball was skidding. Also, the bounce was a bit more as compared to the Indian wickets. So, I was able to assess in which areas I could place the ball or maybe hit runs or score runs accordingly.”
Rawal shared that she had engaged in several conversations with her teammates to better prepare for the tour. Back home, she had been practicing in indoor nets, particularly on AstroTurf wickets, to adjust to the bounce she expected in English conditions. She also spoke with senior players Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, as well as head coach Amol Muzumdar, to assess the conditions more strategically. Together, they discussed which areas she could target, her individual strengths, and how best to apply them against England’s bowlers.
Speaking about the importance of arriving early, Tejal Hasabnis said, “Coming in early in England has helped me a lot, especially adapting to the wickets because of the wicket conditions and the way weather changes here; it’s not the same as what we have back at home in India.”
Both the players expressed confidence in the team’s approach, highlighting the consistent brand of cricket they’ve played throughout the year and their winning momentum. They said the recent T20 series victory has been a strong motivator, and the team aims to carry that drive into the upcoming ODI series.
The in-form opener, Rawal, concluded with a statement of intent, “We want to dominate them. We want to be ruthless in the field and just go for it.”
India will face England on July 16, 2025, in the first One-Day International at Southampton. With the ODI Cricket World Cup just months away, India aims to build momentum and strike the right balance in the squad ahead of the ICC global tournament.
