England captain Heather Knight targets Smriti Mandhana to make history in India

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Feb 21 (ANI): Heather Knight, the captain of reigning World Cup champions England, targets southpaw Smriti Mandhana to exploit India in the ODI series, starting on Friday.
"I have obviously played with Smriti in Hobart [Hurricanes], very recently. She played in my team, so I know her very well. I know she is a very good player. And having seen a lot of her, obviously, it gives us the chance to look at her weaknesses as well and try and figure out how we are going to exploit them in the series,” Knight said on the eve of opening clash scheduled to be hosted at the Wankhede Stadium.
Knight, who wants to make history by winning the bilateral series in India, acknowledged that previously when England toured India, the team was slightly younger and was not able to make a mark as they lost 1-2 in April last year.
Talking about the explosive batter Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been ruled out after sustaining an ankle injury, the England captain said the Indian all-rounder has been a very good player for the hosts and any team in the world would miss her.
Having played a memorable World Cup final at the Lord’s in England in 2017, where India fell short by just nine runs, Knight said both the sides have had some amazing games.
“That World Cup final was an amazing game to be involved in. Obviously the enormity of the occasion: to be in a World Cup final, to be sold out at Lord's. We have played some good games, including last year in Indian conditions as well," she said.
Knight believes that her side has got sufficient depth in the last couple of years.
"The ODI cricket we have played in the last couple of years, including the World Cup in England that has been very good. We have got performances from different players,” she said.
"We have got quite a settled batting line-up and every one of the batters in the top six or seven are match-winners. So hopefully a lot more players can step up, as they have done in the last two years," Knight added.
India and England will meet for three-match ODI series, beginning on Friday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, followed by remaining two matches to be played on February 25 and 28 respectively. (ANI)