Can India pull off another desert storm against Australia in a must-win match?
India and Australia will face off against each other in their final league match of this ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday. While the defending champions, Australia have won all of their three league matches, India, after a rough start against New Zealand have bounced back with two straight wins. With a semi-final spot to play for, the Women in Blue will fight in this must-win match that will take place in Sharjah, a venue where the team has not played before.
Head-to-Head
India and Australia have played 34 T20Is against each other, of which India have won seven and Australia have won 25. In T20 World Cups, Australia dominate the head-to-head battle with a 4-2 margin. Interestingly in the league stages of T20 World Cups, India have a 2-1 lead.
Squads
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
Players to watch out
Harmanpreet Kaur: The captain of India loves to play against Australia. After her scintillating innings of 52 not out against Sri Lanka in the previous encounter, this right-handed batter would have gained a lot of confidence.
Arundhati Reddy: This right-arm medium pacer of India has been consistent in this World Cup so far. She has scalped three wickets in each of her last two outings and has been bowling well across different phases of the innings.
Beth Mooney: This left-handed opening batter of Australia is the leading run getter for her side in this World Cup with 98 runs in three matches. She averages 49 and has a healthy strike rate of 115.
Megan Schutt: This right-arm pace sensation of Australia, who is the most successful bowler in Women’s T20 World Cups has been impressive. She has picked seven wickets in three matches at a miserly economy of just over two runs per over.
Weather
With a temperature of about 29 degrees Celsius, expect a relatively pleasant weather. However, it could be humid since the anticipated level is 59%.
Match details
Date: October 13, 2024
Time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Live streaming: Star Sports Network, Disney + Hotstar