The Indian women's cricket team may have blanked England 5-0 the last time they toured the country for a one-day series three years ago, but they will still be on guard when they play the Englishwomen in a full series later this month.
"Of course we can take heart from the 2002 series win, but this time we will be hosting a more superior and rejuvenated English side, which is buoyant after beating Australia and winning the Ashes [the Test series between the England and Australia women's teams]," Subhangi Kulkarni, secretary of the Women's Cricket Association of India, said at a press meet in Delhi on Wednesday evening.
Kulkarni said the Indian team is high in spirit and the presence of a number of all-rounders in the side lends it the required balance for the series, comprising five one-dayers and a one-off Test.
"We have worked on the medium pacers and ours is a well-balanced side. Bowlers like Jhulan Goswami, Rumeli Dhar and Amita Sharma have been to the MRF Pace Foundation to fine-tune their skills. The English side is a rejuvenated squad and their fielding is also world class. In the end, you have a good contest in the offing," she said.
Opening batswoman Anjum Chopra said the team could not afford to be complacent.
"If we take them lightly, it will be at our own peril. They are a very solid side and have beaten Australia. We have our job cut out for the series," said Chopra.
Mithali Raj will lead the team in the one-off Test match and first two One-Day Internationals.
The first Test is at the Jamia Milia Ground from November 21-14 while the ODIs are scheduled at Faridabad (November 27), Lucknow (December 1), Guwahati (December 4), Silchar (December 7) and Kolkata (December 7).
The Indian squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Neetu David, Nooshin Al Khadir, Amita Sharma, Rumeli Dhar, Jaya Sharma, Monica Sumra, Hemlata Kala, Varsha Raffel, Asha Rawat, Arundati Kirkire, Reema Malhotra (all Railways), Anjum Chopra, Jhulan Goswami, Karuna Jain (all Air-India), Shravanti (AP).
