Lackluster fielding and fitness levels that were not up to scratch have let down India's women cricketers, more so during the forgettable tours to England and Australia. The advantage of having some of the best batswomen in their ranks and the fastest bowler in the world was, at times, negated by the undistinguished fielding.

Now, help seems to be at hand. At the Bandra-Kurla Complex grounds, Tushar Arothe is working overtime to hone the fielding skills of these ladies in the run-up to their World Cup campaign to be held in Australia starting March 7. In a first, Arothe, a former Baroda skipper, has been appointed fielding coach of a National women's cricket team.

Coach Sudha Shah is confident that Arothe will do Jhulan Goswami's girls a world of good. "We have to do some catching up in terms of fielding and fitness. That's why we have Arothe on board," Shah said.

Arothe is a ladies' man, so to speak. He was attached to the Baroda women's team as a fielding coach. He represented Baroda for 19 years. With 13 First Class centuries and over 200 plus wickets, Arothe has experience to back him.

He has been on the job for less than a week. The improvement will not be visible overnight but it will be a slow but steady progress. Anjum Chopra, a former skipper, who will be playing in her fourth World Cup, is happy to see the attention the women's game is getting under the aegis of the BCCI.

Arothe is confident of making a difference. "They have shown the intent and the hunger to match the top sides. Over time they will be able to raise the bar," Arothe said.(Gautam Sheth / DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication )