Much like their ODI World Cup opener against Pakistan three years ago in New Zealand, India were struggling after losing six wickets for not many on the board. In Mount Maunganui, it was 114/6. On Tuesday in Guwahati, in the curtain-raiser for their highly anticipated home campaign against Sri Lanka, it was 124/6. From a precarious position, however, three all-rounders came together to rebuild the innings, adding 145 runs for the last three wickets.

One protagonist was common to both innings three years apart. Sneh Rana had played a patient hand that day for an unbeaten 53, but in Guwahati , it was a slam-bang late cameo – 28 off 15 balls. The patient strike rotator had turned into a late-innings fireworks provider. But the meatier partnership, like the one Sneh and Pooja Vastrakar thre

See Full Page