The India Women’s team has finally broken their frustrating run of losing tosses! Captain Harmanpreet Kaur successfully called heads, choosing to field against Bangladesh in their crucial final ICC Women’s World Cup league match on Sunday. This marks India’s first toss victory after eight consecutive defeats, and their first since September 25th, when Harmanpreet last correctly called against England in a warm-up match before the tournament.
In that previous encounter, India also opted to bowl first, but England managed to post a formidable 340/9 in 50 overs before bowling India out for 187, securing a 153-run victory. The recent toss triumph offers a small yet timely relief for the Indian squad, which had witnessed the coin repeatedly fall unfavorably in recent games. While the outcome of this particular match remains to be seen, breaking the streak undoubtedly provides a minor but significant morale boost.
Interestingly, the Indian men’s team has also been grappling with similar toss woes. Their unfortunate run with the coin persisted during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney, where the hosts won the toss and chose to bat. This result extended the India Men’s team’s sequence to a remarkable 18 consecutive toss defeats in the format, a streak that dates back to their semifinal victory over New Zealand at the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
When questioned about the team’s persistent toss losses, skipper Shubman Gill light-heartedly quipped during a press conference, “Mere ko mere gharwale bhi bol rahe hai, kuch na kuch toss ke liye” (Even my family is telling me to do something about the toss), drawing laughter from the room. Gill also took the opportunity to commend the seasoned duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following India’s convincing nine-wicket win in Sydney. “It’s great to see them back and enjoying themselves. They’ve been doing this for the past fifteen years for us, and to be able to watch them like this is truly special,” he remarked.
Reflecting on their impact, Gill added, “I think as players, there was no doubt over either of them that they wouldn’t be able to perform. But definitely, it feels very good as a captain sitting outside and watching the match, seeing the two most senior players playing and getting the team through.”
With the “toss curse” finally lifted for the women’s team, both of India’s cricketing sides will be eager to translate this change in fortune into on-field success. They will certainly need it, as the India Women’s team prepares to face Australia in the ICC Women’s semi-final, and the men’s team kicks off their T20I series against the same opponent in just a few days.