Stand-in captain Chenelle Henry said the Caribbean team wanted to make the most of the early support on offer for the bowlers.
“We’re going to bowl first. Obviously, the conditions and the pitch for most of the day, we’re just trying to take advantage of that and hope for a good start,” Henry said at the toss.
Indian captain Smriti Mandhana revealed that her team too would have preferred to field first but was happy to use the match as another opportunity for the batsmen to spend time in the middle.
“We wanted to field first. We have batted a lot in the last two or three months, so since it was a warm-up match, we were trying to field and chase today. Again, it’s a good opportunity for all the batsmen to get in some good nicks,” Mandhana said.
The Cardiff pitch presented an interesting combination of conditions. While the grass cover and humidity were visible on the surface, the batsmen were expected to make the most of the powerplay before the pitch came to grips after the innings. Square boundaries were considerably larger than straight boundaries, making length bowling an important factor for seamers.
India are using the warm-up fixtures to fine-tune their combination ahead of the World Cup. Mandhana indicated that although the team has a preferred XI in mind, the playing conditions during the warm-up phase will determine the player’s inclusion.
“We have an eleven on paper, but depending on the situation we want to make sure everyone feels ready before the World Cup,” he said.
Both the teams had arrived in England before the tournament and had already had a chance to acclimatise. Mandhana noted that India experienced different weather during their first training session.
“We were here early for the series, so we got a good look at the conditions. They were a bit different because there was a lot of sunshine around. Today is a decent English weather, so it’s good to experience both,” he said.
For the West Indies, Henry is leading the side in the absence of regular captain Hayley Mathews and sees the game as another important step in their World Cup preparations.
“It’s an opportunity for me to lead this team. With the World Cup coming up, it’s a great opportunity to lead the girls going into the tournament. It’s about being as prepared as possible for that first game,” Henry said.
