The match between India and Australia women's teams at ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam, is crucial. Harmanpreet Kaur's team needs a better performance from the top order, otherwise, the path to the semi-finals could become difficult.
IND W vs AUS W: The Women's ODI World Cup match between India and defending champions Australia's women's cricket teams is being played on Sunday at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam. The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will aim to win this match to ease their path to the semi-finals. For this, a b performance from the team's top order is essential. India must win at least three of their next four matches, otherwise, the dream of reaching the semi-finals will become difficult.
India's Challenge: Performance Against Defending Champions
The Indian team had a good start to the tournament against Sri Lanka and Pakistan but suffered a defeat in the last match against South Africa. To defeat seven-time champions Australia, the team's top-order batters must play responsibly. It is now crucial for the struggling top order to show improvement, otherwise, India's path to the semi-finals will become tough.
Indian Team's Position
After three matches, India is in third place with four points. If the team is to secure wins against formidable opponents like Australia, England, and New Zealand, there is no room for complacency. Australia is at the top of the table with five points from three matches. The defeat against South Africa has made India's path difficult, making a win in this match crucial.
For the third consecutive match, the Indian top order failed. Richa Ghosh, batting at number eight, scored 94 runs, helping India post a respectable total of 251. However, the failure of the top order and the lack of an additional bowler were evident. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur could only manage 21, 19, and 9 runs in the last three matches. Her bat remains silent, and the team needs significant scores from her along with leadership.
Performance of Key Batters
Despite a brilliant season, Smriti Mandhana scored only 8, 23, and 23 runs. Middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues scored 32 runs against Pakistan but failed to open her account in other matches. In three matches, none of India's top five batters managed to score a half-century. After the loss, Captain Harmanpreet stated that there was a lack of responsibility from the top order and that the team needs to introspect and play with a positive mindset.
Role of the Lower Order
Against South Africa, Sneh Rana and Richa Ghosh forged an 88-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Without this partnership, India would not have even posted a respectable score. Against Pakistan, fast bowler Kranti Gaur started well, but in the final overs, the opposition batters turned the match around. The Indian team failed to contain bowlers De Klerk and Chloe Tryon.
Bowling and Player Shortage
India missed an additional bowler. On the other hand, Australia has not lost a single match so far. The defending champions were rescued from trouble against Pakistan by Beth Mooney's century and the combined bowling effort of Kim Garth, Megan Schutt, and Annabel Sutherland.
Probable Playing XI for Both Teams
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Shri Charan, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaur.
Australia: Alyssa Healy (Captain), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
