India focus on fielding in first World Cup training session

Bengaluru, Sep 24 (PTI) India cricketers focused on fielding, an area that needs major improvement, in their first training session ahead of the Women's World Cup beginning at home on September 30. A short one-minute BCCI video of the session showed the squad starting with a football-style passing warm-up before moving on to intense catching and throwing drills.

The bulk of the training was devoted to fielding as the players were seen hitting the stumps from close range, executing sharp picks and throws, and feeding the ball quickly to the wicketkeeper in simulated match situations.

They were found wanting in the fielding department in the recent home series against Australia which they lost 1-2.

The mood in the camp looked vibrant as India prepared for the ODI showpiece which begins with the clash against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30.

Chasing an elusive title, two-time runners-up India head into the World Cup with Mandhana in red-hot form.

The left-hander piled up 300 runs against Australia at an astounding average of 100, including a blistering 50-ball century in Delhi that became the second-fastest hundred in women's ODIs, behind only Meg Lanning's 45-ball effort in 2012-13.

Her knock came in a high-scoring decider where nearly 800 runs were scored. Chasing Australia’s 412, Mandhana’s fireworks kept India in the hunt before they fell 43 runs short to concede the series. PTI TAP BS BS