'We can beat India, we can beat any team': England Women head coach unfazed by ODI and T20I series defeats
England women's head coach
Charlotte Edwards
remains confident her side can beat any opposition at the upcoming 50-over World Cup despite back-to-back series defeats to India.
India claimed the T20I series 3-2 and the ODI series 2-1, handing Edwards her first losses since taking charge earlier this summer.
England were missing senior players, with Heather Knight unavailable and skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt sidelined for the final two T20s due to injury.
The defeats also sparked questions over the team's fielding and handling of high-pressure moments.
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Speaking on a BBC podcast, Edwards dismissed suggestions that the results served as a setback. 'It wasn't a reality check. We know we can beat India,' she said. 'We are going into a World Cup where we know if we play our best, we can beat any team.'
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Edwards said the contests against India offered exactly the kind of challenge her side needed. 'We were massively challenged and that's how we want women's cricket to be,' she added.
The World Cup will be held from 30 September to 2 November in India and Sri Lanka, with each of the eight teams playing one another once before the top four advance to the semi-finals.
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Former India captain Mithali Raj also shared a message backing the side. She said India, if they manage to seize key moments during the tournament starting on September 30. The responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Smriti Mandhana, with the younger players like Kranti Goud also expected to make waves at the tournament.
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