Mithali Raj wants fast bowling all-rounder in Indian women’s team squad

The Indian women’s cricket team enjoyed a positive start to the calendar year as they won the recently concluded three-match ODI series against New Zealand on foreign soil. The visitors thoroughly dominated the first two ODIs but succumbed to a defeat in the final game of the series to end their tour with a tally of two wins to one. National captain, Mithali Raj, was all praise for her squad but admitted that she would like the addition of a fast-bowling all-rounder in the squad in order to add more balance to the starting XI.

"I think the first game the spinners have dominated and the opening pair has given us a great start, chasing 170 odd runs and without losing the openers initially has definitely given us confidence. Getting into the second game also the spinners have continued to carry that momentum from the first game, Though we had a collapse, the partnership between me and Smriti has helped us. I think overall the Indian team has always banked on the spinners and they've done well on this surface as well," Raj added.

"Well, when I started I definitely didn't think I'd come so far. main aim was to represent the country and wear the India colours. And then be one of the core members of the team. Never did I think that I'd play for so long. When you have a long career, there are different elements which comes into your reasoning and factors. One thing [for me] has always been to constantly thrive and constantly work on my game to suit different conditions and different areas of my game. And trying to keep up with the international standard is very important.

"I've seen joys, I've seen highs and lows. When you have a long career it is part of it and I'm grateful to all the coaches who have worked on my game, to my parents, to my mentors and of course to BCCI and to WCI also because I made my debut under that association. I'm just glad that people who have made a difference in my career, I'm very grateful to them," Raj concluded.