"Looking forward": Coach Amol Muzumdar optimistic ahead of first ODI against Australia Women

Brisbane [Australia], February 23 (ANI): India Women's cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar expressed confidence and optimism ahead of the first ODI in the three-match series against Australia Women, calling it a significant milestone following India's historic ODI World Cup triumph.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the series opener on Tuesday, Muzumdar highlighted the team's focus and ambition. "I mean, absolutely. That's what players play for. The coaching staff is there to coach the players. That's what we aim for. To be the world champions. This is the first series post after the World Cup victory. It's a very important one. No better place than to come to Australia and play on these grounds. We are looking forward to this ODI series."
The ODI series marks India Women's first international outing after their World Cup win, with expectations high as they take on the hosts on Australian soil.
Muzumdar also hinted at a special gesture for the players, adding, "I think the girls had a little bit of a thing going on that they will have one star on their jersey to start with tomorrow."
Muzumdar also highlighted the importance of early arrival and acclimatisation ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia Women.
Anmol stressed that arriving in a new country well before a series helps players adjust to conditions and achieve optimal performance. "I think it is very critical, as far as the coaching staff is concerned. We observed this last year, when we went to England. We went 10 days prior to the series that started, and then we had the desired results in England. Similarly, I think going abroad, it's very critical to acclimatise and get into the groove as soon as possible."
The Women in Blue secured a memorable 2-1 T20I series win over Australia in the recently concluded three-match series. India Women clinched victories in the first and third T20Is.
India ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice captain), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal. (ANI)