IND W VS AUS W MATCH 13

We are approaching the halfway mark of the round robin stage at the 2025 Women’s World Cup, and match 13 promises to be a blockbuster as India take on Australia at the Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Ever since the fixtures were announced, this clash has stood out as one of the marquee encounters of the tournament, and the buzz surrounding it is evident with tickets for the game already sold out. Starting with the hosts, India began their campaign with wins over Asian rivals Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They were not at their absolute best in either game, but managed to find ways to get the job done. However, the schedule has now entered a crucial phase with four high-profile fixtures against South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand. That run has not begun well, as Nadine de Klerk’s brilliance powered South Africa to a stunning victory that left Harmanpreet Kaur’s side reeling. The loss would have hurt, but with only a short turnaround between games, India have little time to dwell and plenty of motivation to bounce back against the defending champions. In two of their three games, it has been the lower order that has come to their rescue. Richa Ghosh’s valiant 94 against South Africa dug the team out of a hole and took them to 251, but it did not prove enough on the night. The Indian think tank may need to reassess their balance, as while the side bats deep till number nine, it leaves them with only five specialist bowling options, which makes them look slightly short with the ball. Bringing in a sixth bowling option, in Renuka Singh Thakur or even Radha Yadav, would strengthen the attack, but it would require dropping a batter. The experienced names like Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur have not had much of an impact so far, and if India are to challenge a strong Australian side, they need these players to fire. Another talking point has been the slowdown in scoring after the Powerplay, often caused by Mandhana’s early dismissal and the likes of Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol getting bogged down against spin. They will need to improve in terms of strike rotation. Turning to Australia, the defending champions have two wins from three matches, with the other being a washout against Sri Lanka. Their previous win against Pakistan showcased their trademark resilience, as they recovered from 76/7 to register a 107-run victory. Beth Mooney’s century bailed them out of deep trouble, while Alana King’s maiden ODI half-century at number ten spoke volumes about Australia’s batting depth. Ashleigh Gardner and Mooney already have centuries to their names, but apart from them, Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland and Tahlia McGrath have not quite set the tournament alight and will be eager to change that. The Australians have endured collapses in both of their completed games, finding themselves in trouble after promising starts, something they will look to avoid against India. Considering India’s struggles against left-arm spin, having lost 12 wickets in three matches, Healy and the Australian management may be tempted to recall Sophie Molineux after her impressive three-wicket haul against New Zealand. Alternatively, they could continue with their two leg spinners, Alana King and Georgia Wareham, whose stock deliveries turn away from the right-handers, seven of whom feature in India’s top nine and can contribute with the bat. Kim Garth and Megan Schutt were impressive with the new ball against Pakistan, and their impact with the new ball will be crucial once again. India’s batting has relied heavily on brisk starts provided by Mandhana, and if she falls early, the top order could find itself under pressure. Australia will be keen to exploit that vulnerability and seize the early momentum. Just before the World Cup, these two sides faced off in an ODI series that Australia won 2-1. The series decider in Delhi was an absolute run fest, producing a match aggregate of 781 runs, the highest in Women’s ODI cricket. However, if the contest between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam was anything to go by, run scoring may not be as easy, and the conditions could favour the spinners. It could ultimately come down to which team handles spin better. Since Harmanpreet Kaur’s sensational unbeaten 171 in the 2017 World Cup semifinal, the team in blue has managed to win only 2 of their 16 ODI meetings against Australia. Can Kaur and her team rise to the challenge and come out on top against the defending champions, or will Healy’s side extend their dominance with another win? We shall find out.