Smriti Mandhana backs India's bowling depth ahead of Champions Trophy
Smriti Mandhana said the depth of India's bowling resources will be an advantage heading into the Women's Champions Trophy.
India wrapped up a 3-0 T20I sweep against Zimbabwe in Raipur on Tuesday, winning by 92 runs. The series marked Mandhana's first outing as full-time captain.
She used the three matches to shuffle the batting order and gave six different bowlers a chance. Nandani Sharma finished with six wickets across the series, while Kranti Gaud and Niki Prasad each picked up three.
The six-team Women's Champions Trophy starts on February 14 next year and will be split between Mumbai and Vadodara. Evening dew was a factor in Raipur, and the same conditions are expected to shape the tournament in February.
CricHubb Take
By spreading the ball around against Zimbabwe, Mandhana has already flagged who she'll turn to if the powerplay is lost or the middle overs go flat in Mumbai — the sort of dry-run intel that rarely survives the first match of a trophy that actually matters.