‘Ashes’ set to burn in Indore today, sans Alyssa Healy

Ashes rivals. Eleven World Cup titles. 2022 finalists. 2025 semi-finalists. Centurion captains. The top two sides in the ICC ODI rankings — Australia and England continue to define women’s cricket supremacy.

Invincible so far in this World Cup, both teams have stamped their authority with commanding performances and a different match-winner stepping up in almost every game. Their dominance has been absolute — a reflection of depth, discipline, and a fierce hunger to outdo each other.

At the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, both sides have already tasted success. Australia began their campaign here by defending a mammoth 326 against New Zealand, while England edged past India in a four-run thriller after posting 288.

Star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner and former England captain Heather Knight return to the same venue brimming with confidence, having struck match-winning centuries in their previous outings just a few days back. Spinners from both camps had their moments in Indore earlier, but they will face a sterner test this time — against batters skilled in sweeping, slog-sweeping, and even reverse-sweeping at will.

Given both teams’ record of defending totals at this venue, stand-in captain for Australia, Tahlia McGrath (Alyssa Healy will miss the England game due to calf injury) and England’s skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt may once again fancy batting first — putting runs on the board and letting scoreboard pressure do the rest.

With two evenly-matched powerhouses, the toss could well shape the destiny of this much-awaited clash of champions.

Head-to-Head
Overall: Australia – 61 , England – 24

At World Cups: Australia – 13, England – 4

ICC ODI Rankings: Australia – 1, England – 2

Match details

Date: October 22, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM
Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

Live streaming: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar