Women’s ODI World Cup Preview | India seek to stop Australian juggernaut in crucial game

‌India Women will hope to bring out their A-game to stop Australia’s merry run when both sides meet in their fourth game of the ODI World Cup in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. It will be the home side’s second game at the Dr. Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium after their loss to South Africa on Thursday.

It was the third game in a row that the lower middle order came to the side’s rescue after the top order flattered to deceive in each of the game. Richa Ghosh came up with a counterattacking half-century to push the team to a competitive total in Vizag but a similar effort from Nadine de Klerk saw them finish second best against the Proteas.

That defeat puts the hosts in a tricky position, though they are placed third in the points table with four points from three matches. The Women in Blue cannot afford another loss, which may push them down to mid table.

Meanwhile, Australia, for the second game in a row, continued to find a way out despite being pushed to 76/7 by Pakistan in the first innings. After Ashleigh Gardner’s rearguard action against New Zealand, it was Beth Mooney’s turn in the current game, as she took the side past the 200-run mark with a fighting century.

The Aussies are currently on top of the table with five points from three games, and, along with England, are yet to taste defeat in the tournament.

Form Guide

IND W Form: W L W W L

AUS W Form:L W W NR W

IND W vs AUS W head-to-head in ODIs

Like any other team, Australia hold a superior head-to-head record against India with 48 wins in 59 games. The Women in Blue have 11 wins, with their 102-run victory in New Chandigarh last month, being the only occasion that they finished on the right side in the last 10 matches. 

IND W 11 - 48 AUS W

Pitch and Conditions

The surface at the ACA-VDCA Stadium is expected to be flat and dry, with the conditions getting better for batting as the game progresses. The spinners will have a say in the first half of the game with the evening dew making it difficult for them to grip the ball later. Both captains are expected to bowl first, with five of the six games at this venue being won by chasing sides. 

It will be a cloudy afternoon in Visakhapatnam with little rain, and the temperatures are expected to be around 31 degrees. The rains are expected to feature again later in the game with 73% chances of precipitation, as temperatures will cool down to 26 degrees. 

Team News

Both sides are expected to play with the same eleven despite India losing out to South Africa in their last game.

IND W Expected XI

Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, Kranti Goud.

AUS W Expected XI

Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Alana King, Megan Schutt.

Broadcasting Platforms 

The IND W vs AUS W ODI World Cup match will be digitally streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India from 3:00 PM IST on Sunday, with live telecast on the Star Sports network.