There was barely time for India to catch their breath, not to mention lick their wounds, after Nadine de Klerk’s magical knock snapped their unbeaten run within the Ladies’s World Cup on the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam simply days in the past. And now, like a marquee conflict you’d fairly postpone, defending champions Australia await on Sunday — armed, assured, and really a lot watching.
Naturally, all 15,087 tickets have been bought — as a result of when India performs Australia, particularly on a Sunday, the calendar clears itself.
Thursday’s emotional rollercoaster towards South Africa — a match that tugged at nerves and scorecards in equal measure — was anticipated to be adopted by a subdued coaching session. Only a gentle hit-around, maybe. However Friday painted a unique image.
Not like earlier non-obligatory practices — the place tumbleweeds and the odd internet bowler outnumbered gamers — six Indian cricketers confirmed up this time. A turnout not simply extra encouraging than common, however arguably extra impactful than any crew debrief. If the loss to South Africa rattled the cage, the response has been one in every of quiet urgency.
Becoming a member of captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana have been Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Radha Yadav. On the eve of the conflict, Jemimah Rodrigues was again within the nets, joined by promising teenager Pratika Rawal and wicketkeeper Uma Chetri — centered, disciplined, and noticeably low on chatter.
If there is a vulnerability in India’s marketing campaign, it lies on the high. What started as a sample of unsteady begins has deepened right into a recurring concern — near-collapse towards Sri Lanka, a restoration job versus Pakistan, and a full unraveling towards South Africa. In opposition to Australia’s different and relentless bowling unit, one other wobble could show pricey.
The numbers bear it out. India’s high 5 common simply 23.13 — the bottom among the many SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). Much more regarding is the dot-ball proportion, which continues to stall momentum early within the innings.piling strain on the center order to salvage the narrative.
Come Sunday, the temporary is evident: Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues should ship. Something much less towards the seven-time champions, and India may discover themselves chasing the sport from ball one.
Crew stability may additionally use a re-examination. India have been working with 5 frontline bowlers, with Harmanpreet stepping in because the sixth possibility towards South Africa. However towards an Australian line-up stacked with depth and flexibility, an additional bowling possibility or a reconfigured high order is likely to be value contemplating.
There’s little margin for error — and Australia do not have a tendency to supply second probabilities.
To be truthful, the Australians have not been good both. Their marketing campaign to this point has featured stuttering begins and middle-order stumbles. However not like most, they’ve discovered a manner again — every time — because of their formidable bench power and lower-order resilience.
Ashleigh Gardner was imperious in Indore with a century towards New Zealandwhereas Beth Mooney anchored a gritty comeback towards Pakistan in Colombo. Add the regular presence of Ellyse Perry and the firepower of Alyssa Healy, and it is clear that Australia stay a facet able to flipping a script in minutes.
Their latest 2–1 sequence win over India solely reinforces that edge. And with the group stage tightening, they will be eager to close the door on any uncertainty, beginning with Sunday’s conflict.
For India, that is extra than simply one other recreation. It is an opportunity to indicate that the slip towards South Africa was simply that — a slip, not a slide. For that to occur, the highest order must regular the ship, the bowlers have to strike early, and the crew must imagine once more.
INDW vs AUSW: VIZAG WEATHER REPORT
The rain delayed the India vs South Africa conflict in Vizag by an hour, however the forecast seems clear for Sunday. Temperatures are anticipated to peak round 32°C, with the form of humidity that has develop into a continuing throughout this World Cup.
INDW vs AUSW: VIZAG PITCH REPORT
Visakhapatnam had a little bit of every little thing throughout India’s conflict with South Africa — runs, swing beneath the afternoon solar and lights, and switch as the sport have been on. Dew made its presence felt within the night final time, and it may as soon as once more form selections on the toss.
INDW vs AUSW: HEAD-TO-HEAD IN ODIS
Regardless of girls’s cricket being starved of fixtures for a lot of its historical past, India and Australia have nonetheless managed to cross paths in 59 ODIs — a quantity that speaks to each legacy and resilience. However on the subject of the outcomes, it has been extra of a one-sided story. Australia lead the head-to-head 48–11 — a large gulf.
INDW vs AUSW: QUOTES CORNER
“We went again, studied the end result (vs SA) and regrouped. It is all about planning how we will enhance and how one can take the positives from it. Now, we stay up for the subsequent recreation,” Sneh Rana stated on the eve of the Australian match.
“I’ve stated it beforehand that I really feel like they have been virtually a sleeping big within the girls’s recreation for a protracted time frameIt is in all probability for the reason that WPL has come into play that they’ve realized the depth they have,” Alyssa Healy stated within the pre-match presser.
INDW vs AUSW: PREDICTED PLAYING XI
India Predicted XI: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Goud, Shree Charani
Australia Predicted XI: Alyssa Healy (captain, wicketkeeper), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Alana King, Megan Schutt.
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