The Women in Blue, led by Smriti Mandhanaare set to take on Zimbabwe in the first ODI on Friday. All the matches will be played at the Kotambi Stadium in Baroda. The hosts are riding high after winning the T20I series by a 3-0 margin recently.

The 29-year-old all-rounder Deepti Sharma addressed the media ahead of the game and said that the side can score 300-plus total on the board if they bat first. “It is a very good pitch. From whatever training sessions we have had, itseems like a very good track for batting. The team has played a lot of games, and we know how the wickets and conditions will behave.”

She also added, “So, we are sure about what to expect and will be thinking about scoring more than 300 runs, but it also depends on what happens during the toss and what kind of track we get to play on.”

When asked about India’s likely XI, Sharma said, “This will be revealed before the start of the game. It will be good for the team to settle into a good combination, from both batting and bowling perspectives. Whatever will be chosen should be good for the team. It doesn’t matter if it is an ODI or T20I, as we always try to do well as a side and make sure there is no need for unwanted changes. We want to continue doing whatever we have been doing so far.”

India have called up Jintimani Kalita as a replacement for Renuka Singh. “Renuka is still building up the bowling volume required for the 50-over format at the BCCI Centre of Excellence,” the Indian Cricket Board said in a statement.

It will also be the first time in over a decade that Harmanpreet Kaur will be playing without the burden of captaincy. The 37-year-old broke down in tears after playing a match-winning knock during the third T20I in Raipur against the visiting side.

IND vs ZIM Squads

India – Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana(c), Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Sayali Satghare, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandani Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis, Jintimani Kalita

Zimbabwe – Modester Mupachikwa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Beloved Biza, Josephine Nkomo(c), Sharne Mayers, Nyasha Gwanzura, Michelle Mavunga, Nomvelo Sibanda, Francisca Chipare, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Tendai Makusha, Loryn Phiri, Chiedza Dhururu