Last edition’s finalists, India have lost all four of their last ODI series [against South Africa, England, Australia and New Zealand], and have a number of issues to resolve with less than a week to go before the World Cup kickstarts.

We look at the prominent questions that linger as India gear up to face Pakistan in their tournament opener on March 6.

Who’s Jhulan’s new-ball partner?

India have tried eight fast bowlers since the start of 2019 in the format, including Jhulan Goswami, who has picked 38 wickets in this period, the most by any quick from the country. The only other fast bowler with more than 10 scalps is Shikha Pandey, who has 20 wickets next to her name, but has surprisingly not been selected in the World Cup squad.

India have three other frontline seamers for the ICC event excluding Goswami: Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh, with the three picking up a combined 12 wickets since the start of 2019. Renuka has played only two ODIs, while Meghna has five games under her belt. Vastrakar has 13 appearances to her name, and the lack of experience from the other seamers will only increase the pressure on Goswami upfront.

In the recent series against New Zealand, the trio picked up seven wickets, with Renuka ending with the best average among them: 30.66. They also conceded runs at more than 6.5 runs an over in the series, despite conditions largely in their favour. India’s strength remains their spin attack, but with not much help expected to be on offer for them in New Zealand, the onus will be on a relatively new attack to pick up wickets for India. Renuka, Meghna and Vastrakar all were given a go against New Zealand, but they failed to make the most of their chances. Who will be the first choice quick in the XI is still a question worth answering.

Is the team too reliant on their spinners?

Since the start of 2019, the spinners from India have picked up 108 ODI wickets at a strike rate of 44.6 and an economy rate of 4.59. They played pivotal roles for the side in their last two ICC events: in the 2018 T20 World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2020, the slower bowlers picked a total of 55 wickets at an average of 17.85 and an economy rate of 6.30. In contrast, the fast bowlers had scalped 11 wickets at an average of 26.63, leaking runs at over seven an over, and it was largely due to the performance of the tweakers that India reached the semis and the finals of the two editions, respectively.

That might not be the case in New Zealand. The pitches in the country traditionally have minimal assistance for the spinners, and with the fast bowlers lacking experience, India’s bowling unit collectively could prove to be a weak point.

Is Mithali Raj ‘both the best and worst thing about Indian cricket now?’

Isabelle Westbury’s tweet last week sparked a huge controversy: while praising Mithali Raj’s consistency, she was taking a dig at the India captain’s strike rate, which is a lowly 66.43 since the start of 2019.

Mithali, however, is the third-highest run-scorer in the world in ODIs in the said duration, making 1,073 runs at an average of 56.47. Only two other batters (Lizelle Lee and Stafanie Taylor) have made more than 400 runs and have a better average. Since then, she is also the highest run-getter among India cricketers, with Smriti Mandhana next in the list [859 runs at an average of 47.72]. Mithali is almost always expected to get a big score – she has 11 fifties in 26 innings since 2019, three more than Mandhana’s eight.

However, not always have her runs translated into wins, with her strike-rate remaining a bone of contention. Mithali has the lowest strike-rate in the world since 2019 among batters who have made more than 650 runs. More crucially, in losses, Mithali has scored 626 runs, the most by any batter since 2019, with seven fifties, at a strike rate of 67.52. While it indicates how the team has failed to rally around her, it only shows how her batting approach could be a bigger issue, with India failing to finish games constantly despite having a set batter at the crease.

Is the side too dependent on the openers?

Since the start of 2019, the Indian openers have scored 1,196 runs in 28 matches at an average of 42.71 and a run rate of 5.02. They have also notched up seven 50+ partnerships and three hundred-plus stands, with a best of 190, which is the highest by an opening pair in the format in this period. The duo of Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who will most likely be India’s openers in the World Cup, together have batted in eight ODIs, making 325 runs at a run rate of 5.80, with three fifty-plus stands.

But while the openers have been on the top of their game, the middle order has often been unable to carry on. In the same period, batters from No.3-7 from India average just under 33 with a strike rate of 67.70. The average is increased primarily due to Mithali’s run-scoring; without her, the numbers paint an even grimmer picture.

India have lost ten out of 28 matches where the openers have scored less than 50 runs for the first wicket and the below-par returns from the middle order further pile on the pressure on the players at the top.

Will the fielding stand up?

That India is a sloppy fielding side is no secret. In the recent ODI series against New Zealand, the visiting fielders dropped as many as seven catches and spilt another in the one-off T20I. Over the last year or so, there have been innumerable missed run-out chances, and sluggish work on the field have also accounted for extra runs, with the team paying harshly after the reprieved batter made the most of their second life. With every extra run potentially having the power to haunt the side with NRR in the fray, the fielding standards will need to improve and fast.