For Kaur, the opening match against co-hosts Sri Lanka is about setting the tone early. “Our main focus is on tomorrow’s game and setting the tone for us… that is something we are really looking forward to,” she said on the eve of the match. “Hopefully, we will keep playing our good cricket the way we have played in the past one and a half years. And hopefully, we will not take any pressure.”

While India’s spinners remain their biggest strength, Guwahati’s sultry humidity and inevitable dew will be a key factor. India’s practice session on Monday was built around that — pacers Arundhati and Kranti poured water on the ball to simulate wet conditions, while Amanjot Kaur bowled at full tilt suggesting that she has returned to full fitness. Although Kaur clarified that everyone in the team was fit, Renuka Singh Thakur didn’t bowl, hinting that India could, instead, go in with the seam all-rounder in the XI.

“Spinners were always there when the team needed them and whenever we have shown trust in them, they have done well,” Kaur said without revealing too much. “But we will assess how the pitch is behaving, the conditions and accordingly decide who we have to pick in the playing XI.”

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, opted to have a closed-door practice session in the afternoon. They have played little international cricket since the tri-series against India and South Africa earlier this year. But their confidence stems from those performances — where they beat both India and South Africa once each — along with a solid domestic season and their Asia Cup triumph last year. They also played against under-17 and under-19 boys’ teams to stay match-ready.

Athapaththu, their talisman, admits to wanting an Asian World Champion this time around but thrives on contests like this one. “We don’t want to put too much pressure on our shoulders, we just want to play our best cricket. If we can execute our plans at the right time, I know we can win this game,” she said. “India has a good team because they are very experienced. But playing the first game in front of a home crowd, they have a little bit more pressure than us. If we play our best cricket, the result will go our way.”

Athapaththu has scored 464 runs including a hundred and two half-centuries against India. Her familiarity with Indian players adds more context: “I know most of them from the WPL, league and international cricket. They know my skill set and I know theirs. It’s a tight competition but who absorbs the challenge on the day is what matters.”