With only the net run-rate separating the teams in Group A, India, who are currently holding the No.2 position in the points table, are keen to register a win and claim a spot in the Super Six stage. The Mithali Raj-led team will be taking on Sri Lanka on February 5 in a day-night encounter at the Brabourne Stadium as both teams hope to make it to the next round.

Speaking to the media ahead of the match, skipper Mithali Raj said, “The next game is a do-or-die game for us and we are not going to take Sri Lanka lightly. On such a wicket especially, it could be anybody’s game and they have done well against England. I am hoping that our team will put in a good effort, as usual.”

When asked what she would do if she won the toss again, the Indian skipper explained, “I will see if we are getting a fresh wicket. If it is the same conditions, I will still opt to field, because the way Jhulan [Goswami] bowled in the first spell, she was brilliant […]. So, I wouldn’t want any other pacer to get that kind of edge; so I will still go for fielding if we win the toss.”

Speaking about what she would change for the next match, Raj said, “The kind of start the bowlers have given us by getting us the first breakthrough [is great]; and I only hope that we don’t give away too many runs in the powerplay or in the last session. That’s where I guess we were a little lost in today’s [Sunday’s] game. So, probably that wouldn’t be happening in the next game.”

“In the last session of the first innings, we seemed a little lost in terms of bowling and [gave away a] few boundaries. I guess that’s where England [got] an edge. They didn’t give us too many boundaries in the middle overs, especially when Harman and Karuna Jain were batting. Maybe if we had four-five boundaries [at the time, it would have made a difference]; and if you see in their innings, the ratio would have been much more. So, I guess we will try and minimize the boundaries.”

Talking about their approach for the Sri Lanka game, Raj stated, “This is a World Cup; we definitely don’t look down at any team as such. So, we are going to take them as another opponent that we need to win against to qualify for Super Six. That’s our aim now.”