Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
Team India face their toughest challenge yet as they take on Australia in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Sharjah tomorrow. The Aussies remain undefeated, making it an uphill battle for the Women in Blue. Historically, Australia have dominated India in this tournament, with four wins and from six meetings.
India must win to stay in the race for a semi-final spot. If New Zealand finish with the same points, net run rate (NRR) will come into play, adding extra pressure. India’s last T20 World Cup win over Australia was in Sydney in 2020, though they later lost the final to them in Melbourne.
Injuries
Pooja Vastrakar’s availability for India remains uncertain. In yesterday’s practice session, she appeared more confident, running better, taking high catches, and hitting the stumps direct, showing improvement from previous sessions. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was seen doing fitness stretches and running sprints alone, but there were few concerns about her being ready for the big game.
Players to watch out for
Harmanpreet has scored the most runs against Australia so far, with 143 runs in six innings at an average of 23.83 and a strike-rate of 114.40. Her highest score of 52 came in the last meeting during the 2023 T20 World Cup in Cape Town, though it was in a losing cause.
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India faces Australia tomorrow in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup! How crucial is Pooja Vastrakar? Can the bowlers deliver, and will Megan Schutt be a threat?@snehasis_95 & @Fancricket12 preview the #INDvsAUS clash from Sharjah.@Future_Generali @T20WorldCup #T20WomensWorldCup… pic.twitter.com/53XcvM4cEf
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 12, 2024
Smriti Mandhana is another batter who could trouble the Aussies. In the 2018 T20 World Cup clash in Providence (Guyana), she was the player of the match for her 83-run knock off 55 balls, as India secured their first-ever T20 World Cup win against Australia. So far, in four innings T20 World Cup knocks against Australia, she has scored 106 runs at an average of 26.50 and a strike-rate of 134.17. After her recent half-century against Sri Lanka, she will look to carry that momentum forward.
Deepti Sharma is a key all-rounder. With the bat, she has scored 110 runs in four previous meetings, averaging 55.00 with a strike-rate of 101.85. With the ball, she has taken five wickets at an economy of 6.81.
Historically, Poonam Yadav has taken the most wickets (7) against Australia in this tournament. She was also the player of the match in the 2020 T20 World Cup group stage win. This time, India have Asha Sobhana as their leg-spinner, and she has enjoyed a strong tournament (5 wickets in three innings, economy 5.41), generating more spin than any other spinner. On the Sharjah wicket, fans hope she will get more assistance to trouble the Aussie batters.
In a recent chat on the ICC website, Harmanpreet sounded confident about a positive result against Australia. She said: “(Against Australia) we definitely have to play good cricket first of all… They are a good side, but at the same time, it is good to see our bowlers in a good rhythm, they are giving us breakthroughs whenever we need it.”
Meanwhile, after thrashing Pakistan, Aussie all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner said: “We have a really big challenge coming up against India. They will certainly challenge me personally, and we have had a few good battles with them over the years.”
Whether India manages to register their third World Cup victory over Australia in this tournament, only time will tell, but an enthralling game awaits all fans in Sharjah.
Also Read: Spin battle to decide India vs Australia Sharjah showdown?