India’s World Cup has been a mix. Some matches went well. Others, not so much. The regular batters haven’t quite clicked. The bowling still lacks variety. Five reliable options weren’t enough to trouble South Africa or Australia. With tough games against England, New Zealand and Bangladesh coming up, India will need a new strategy.This World Cup has also been about inter-team relationships. Harmanpreet Kaur and Alyssa Healy fight hard on the field. But off it, there’s banter and respect. A two-year-old clip shows Ellyse Perry, Australia’s pace-bowling allrounder, talking with Pakistan’s 23-year-old captain Fatima Sana. She’s learning control. You see curiosity and the game passing from one player to another.Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu leads by example. She pushes her team to believe in themselves. Fans cheer her because she earns it, not because she shouts or poses.From the stands, The Hindu’s Anirudh Velamuri sees it all—the tension, the laughs and moments like when Nadine de Klerk, South Africa’s captain, gesticulates and talks to herself. Now, the question is whether India can find the spark to turn the tables on an unbeaten England in the upcoming match?

Guest: Anirudh Velamuri

Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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