13:25 IST:

Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the India Women, is up for a quick chat before the start of play. Speaking about preparations, she shares that the build-up has been good, with a fitness-based camp in Bengaluru followed by a solid camp in Visakhapatnam, where the team will also be playing a few games. On the team’s progress ahead of the marquee event, she recalls that the England tour was positive, with several youngsters stepping up and performing well. However, she emphasises that it is in the past, and the focus now is on moving forward. With three ODIs before heading straight into the World Cup, she notes that the team cannot dwell too much on what happened in England, but admits it was a good tour overall.