The Indian women’s cricket team ramped up its preparation for the crucial 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup clash against England set for Sunday, with a highly-charged fielding practice at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. After dropping back-to-back matches to South Africa and the reigning world champions Australia in Visakhapatnam, the side led by Harmanpreet Kaur decided it was time to work on their fielding prior to the must-win match. Having had two disappointing outings in Visakhapatnam, the players went through a series of high-tempo drills focusing on improving their speed, accuracy, and overall ability to remain poised under pressure.
Focus on fielding under pressure by Team India
Fielding coach Munish Bali shared insights into the team’s approach during a video posted by the BCCI on Thursday.
“The main objective of today’s session was to get used to the conditions and focus on fielding under pressure. We worked on four key areas—high catching, ground fielding, direct hits, and pressure situations,” Bali explained.
He also revealed an innovative drill designed to simulate match-like tension. “If it’s a direct hit, you get two points; if the ball goes inside the net, you get three. The target is 20 points. But here’s the catch—if you’ve scored 18 points and miss on the 19th, you go back to zero,” Bali said. “The pressure we create here in training will automatically translate to better execution in matches.”
Bali mentioned that the group regularly goes through small, focused drills which help sharpen skills. "For instance, within direct hits, a hit is worth four points, while a dropped catch is worth minus three points. Our intention is to foster a highly competitive environment, and it has been of tremendous assistance for us."
As of now, India is fourth on the points table with four points, while England led by Nat Sciver-Brunt is first on the points table with seven points. For India to have an opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals, it has to win all its remaining league matches against England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
