The women take centre stage in the One-Day International scene today, the Indian team setting foot onto the same Old Trafford turf where their male counterparts defeated Pakistan exactly four weeks ago.

The Indian Women's team that takes on England today is a bit of an unknown quantity. Three of the players have never appeared at international level before. There are six changes in the side since Sri Lanka toured in January. It is probably worth while looking at the squad as individuals before we view their team play.

Chanderkanta Aheer graduated from the vice captaincy after the 1997 World Cup. A right handed opening bat, she is coming from an exceptional series against Sri Lanka, where she made scores of 95, 123, 166*, 68, 43* and 102*. Rather an impressive improvement on what had been a previous ODI average of 15.15 from 18 innings.

The other likely opener would be wicketkeeper Reshma Gandhi, hailing from Delhi. Named as a reserve in the last world cup, she made her international debut against Ireland last weekend, scoring 106*. She comes into the side on the retirement of Anju Jain as wicketkeeper, despite not having played in the recent Rani of Jhansi tournament. Gandhi would be almost certain to be picked as opener above Aarti Vaidya.

Vaidya has a history of strong batting, having highest scores of 91 against Australia U-23s and 77 against NZ, back in 1994/95. However, she is recovering from a disastrous Rani of Jhansi tournament, having only managed a total of 20 runs in 4 innings.

Number three spot is likely to be filled by 16 year old Mithali Raj from Andhra Pradesh. Mithala stamped her claim on this with scores of 89* and 101 (retired) against Sri Lanka, following this up with an average of 48.5 at Rani of Jhansi and 116* against Ireland.

Purnima Rau would probably be the most experienced player in the squad, having debuted in the 1993 World Cup. She was captain and woman of the series during the 1994/95 Triangular series against Australia and NZ. A middle order bat, she had an average of 21.94 off 19 innings. However, her main strength is her off spinning, which made her the highest Indian wicket keeper in the 1997 World Cup, taking 10 wickets in 5 matches. Combine this with an economy rate of 3.12 and a bowling average of 15.57, this puts her in the top 10 bowlers in the world.

Hemlata Kala from Agra would probably be at number four or five. While not in the World Cup squad, she was a member of the team playing England in 1995, and had a successful series against Sri Lanka with scores of 15*, 29, 88*, 14*, 14*, and 48.

There is a choice of two all rounders in Kalyani Dhokarikar (nee Umbrani), and Deepa Madhukar Kulkarni. Dhokarikar had a successful Rani tournament with the bat, ending up with an average of 23.75, but not quite so successful with the ball, only taking one wicket off 23.4 overs, whilst giving away 84 runs.

Like Dhokarikar, Kulkarni is an old world cup member, having taken 2/12 on her debut against WI in that tourney. She was also part of the Sri Lanka, taking 10 wickets for 44, and the Rani series, taking 6/54 off of 28.4. Her batting was her weaker point, averaging only 10 in the Rani series, and not batting against Sri Lanka.

One area that India is lacking is a decent pace bowler. The closest they get is right arm medium fast GS Lakshmi from Jamshedpur. Lakshmi was not in either the WC or the Sri Lankan tour, but returned figures of 8/58 off of 32.3 during the Rani series, including 3/10 off of 9 against North Zone.

Two medium pace bowlers are available in Umesh Kumari from Delhi and Renu Margrate from Amritsar. Kumari is an utterly unknown quantity, having not been involved in the World Cup, the Sri Lankan tour or the Rani series. She may have been chosen because she bowls left handed, thus creating some variety.

Margrate is another old hand, having debuted against NZ in 1994/95, and maintaining her position ever since. More a change than a strike bowler, she returned respectable figures of 4/85 off 37.4 against Sri Lanka, better than her career economy rate of 3.2, with an average of 41.

Another relative unknown is Indore off-spinner Rupanjali Shastri, who, although debuting in 1994 against Australia aged 19 has been relatively quiet until the Sri Lankan tour this year. There she took seven wickets, including career best figures of 3/3 off 5.4.

Finally we have left arm spinner Neetu David, who has been in the squad since the last competition against England, when in a test she took 8/53 - a world record. Probably India's best bowler, she had a odi bowling average of 17.69 (econ 2.11) before playing Sri Lanka, when she took 10 wickets off 29.5 overs, whilst conceding only 58 runs. This included 1/1 off 5, 4/18 off 8 and 3/9 off 4.5

Even so, the most obvious weakness in the Indian side is in its bowling. It is probable that they will severely miss the presence of a fast opening bowler, especially when bowling to players of such caliber as Karen Smithies and Charlotte Lewis. Much depends upon the ability, or lack thereof, of the English players when facing spin.

England: Karen Smithies (capt, East Midlands), Clare Connor (Sussex), Jane Cassar (East Midlands, wk), Sarah Collyer (Cheshire), Charlotte Edwards (East Anglia), Kathryn Leng (Yorkshire), Kate Lowe (East Midlands), Laura Newton (Cheshire), Lucy Pearson (East Anglia), Suzanne Redfern (Derbyshire), Melissa Reynard (Yorkshire), Gill Richards (West Midlands), Clare Taylor (Yorkshire), Claire Taylor (Thames Valley). Three to be omitted.

India: Chanderkanta Aheer (capt), Neetu David, Kalyani Umbrani, Reshma Gandhi, Hemlata Kala, Deepa Kulkarni, Umesh Kumari, GS Lakshmi, Renu Margrate, Mithali Raj, Purnima Rau, Rupanjali Shastri, Aarti Vaidya, Anjum Chopra, Anju Jain (wk). Four to be omitted.