Snehasis Mukherjee in Visakhapatnam
The stage is set in Visakhapatnam as Team India gear up to face defending champions Australia in their fourth game of the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on Sunday.
After starting the World Cup with two wins on the bounce, India suffered their first loss of the tournament against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, with the Harmanpreet Kaur-led unit sitting third on the points table with four points and a net run rate of 0.959.
Australia, on the other hand, remain unbeaten. Out of three games so far, they have won two, while their match against Sri Lanka in Colombo was washed out. The Aussies are currently second with five points and a strong net run rate of 1.960.
All eyes are now on the ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium as India look to bounce back. Another defeat could make their road to the semi-final a bit tricky, with net run rate likely to play a key role in that case. For Australia, the aim will be to extend their unbeaten run. The Aussies still have areas to polish, something the Women in Blue would hope to exploit.
Head-to-Head in ODIs
- Overall: 59 matches – India 11, Australia 48
- In India: 27 matches – India 5, Australia 22
- In Women’s World Cups: 13 matches – India 3, Australia 10
Current Form
India
After back-to-back wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, India suffered a narrow defeat to South Africa in their third match. Their biggest concern has been the top-order batting. In three games, the top five have struggled to score freely, especially against spin.
Out of 28 wickets lost so far, 14 have fallen to spinners — and 12 of those to left-arm spin. With Australia expected to bring back Sophie Molineux, left-arm orthodox spinner, India’s batting will again face a stern test. The Aussie skipper, Alyssa Healy, hinted about it in the pre-match press conference. Alongside Molineux, leg-spinner Alana King could also pose problems for the Indian batters.
Australia
Australia began their campaign with a win over New Zealand in Indore. The subsequent clash with Sri Lanka was washed out. In the last game, they defeated Pakistan in Colombo. Despite their unbeaten run, Australia’s batters have faced challenges.
Against New Zealand, they were 128/5 at one stage before Ashleigh Gardner’s brilliant century guided them to 326. In the game against Pakistan, they collapsed to 76/7 before Beth Mooney’s classy hundred and Alana King’s unbeaten fifty rescued them to 221. Their lower order has shown depth, but early wickets remain a concern.
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Players to Watch Out For
India
Richa Ghosh
Richa has been in explosive touch with the bat. Against Pakistan, her unbeaten 35 off 20 helped India post 247. In the last game against South Africa, the wicketkeeper batter played a stunning knock of 94 off 77 when India were 102/6, building key stands with Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana. While her wicketkeeping against Pakistan was shaky, she looked decent behind the stumps in the last match.
Deepti Sharma
Deepti started the tournament strongly with a half-century and three wickets against Sri Lanka, followed by another three-wicket haul against Pakistan. However, she had a quiet outing versus South Africa, conceding 54 runs for one wicket and scoring just four with the bat. The experienced all-rounder would look to bounce back against the Aussies.
Australia
Beth Mooney
Mooney was outstanding in the last game against Pakistan. On a sluggish pitch, she anchored the innings with a superb century, adding 106 runs for the last wicket with Alana King. Her experience and composure make her a vital player against India’s attack.
Ashleigh Gardner
Gardner remains Australia’s key factor. She rescued her team against New Zealand with a match-winning hundred and continues to be a threat with both bat and ball. Though she has taken only one wicket so far, India will remember her double strike in the pre-World Cup ODI series — dismissing both Pratika Rawal and Harmanpreet Kaur. As India continue to struggle against tweakers, Gardner could again make a big impact.
Probable Playing XIs
India
Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh
Australia
Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Georgia Voll, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Alana King, Megan Schutt
Also Read: Spin focus for India, selection puzzles for Australia ahead of Vizag clash