India must show a real spark on the cricket ground against the Aussies
India won only a single time against Australia in the last 10 T20Is & now needs to perform well to win the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final. India will take on defending titleholders Australia in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday at the Newlands in Cape Town. (Read Also: ICC rankings: R Ashwin is the 2nd in bowling, Jadeja enters the top 10)
The last time India played against Australia in a T20 World Cup match, it was in the final of the 2020 season at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where the Aussies won by 85 runs to decide their record-extending 5thtitle.
In 10 games against the Aussies since that final, India has won just one, Australia settled eight, and one ended without a result.
Overall, Australia leads the head-to-head with 22 triumphs in 30 matches.
It is tough to beat the Australian side. They are full of All- rounders’ and match winners. They have destructive bowlers fast and spinners. They have brilliant batsmen with many match-winning players. Still, India has come closer than any other platoon to being competitive against Australia. Australia’s only transnational defeat in 2022 came against India in a dramatic Super Over in December. Also, in the Commonwealth Games final, India had the upper hand for a large part of the match before losing by 9 runs.
We take a look at areas where India can hurt Australia and what Harmanpreet Kaur’s side needs to do to beat their potent opponents.
Harmanpreet Kaur must find form
One of the biggest triumphs for India in women’s, and against Australia, came in the semi-finals of the 2017 ODI World Cup when Harmanpreet scored an inning of 171 runs not out of 115 balls. That inning excluded favorites Australia from the event and allowed India to play the final at Lord’s, the notorious game that allegedly led to the metamorphosis of women’s cricket eventsin the country.
The captain, still, has been in poor form lately with scores of 6, 33, 4, and 13 in the Women’s T20 World Cup. With Jemimah Rodrigues failing to seal the No 3 spot, Harmanpreet decided to club up the order against Ireland but could only score 13 out of 20.
Despite the failure, Harmanpreet is anticipated to club again at No. 3 against Australia and for India to score a big aggregate. It would surely be needed in a game against Australia, Harmanpreet has to fire as she did in 2017.
Smriti Mandhana needs to continue good form
Each- conquering Australia is so good that you can’t beat them with just many aspects going right. You need to be near perfect and indeed that may not be enough. Smriti Mandhana scored a career-stylish 87 against Ireland, in a game that India won by 5 runs(DLS) and was good for the semi-finals. Indeed, in the December match against Australia, Mandhana scored fifty.
Along with Mandhana, the top order must fire to produce the kind of fur performance one requires to beat Australia. No. 5 Richa Ghosh has been India’s stylish batter at the World Cup and that cannot be the case in the semi-final.
India’s spin side should pick up today
India returning to Newlands for the semis, it’s largely likely that third-choice leader Shikha Pandey will make way for a left-arm weaker. Radha Yadav gave the help the Cape Town shells give to baits. But Indian baits have been largely poor during this event. The only Indian bowler to point in the top 10 gate-takers in the event is leader Renuka Singh with seven wickets.
The first Indian resource on the gate-takers list is Deepti Sharma in the 19th spot with five wickets from four games. She has an economy rate of close to eight. Radha has two wickets in three games and Rajeshwari Gayakwad has had none in four.
No dot balls anymore
For that, India will have to first address their worrying fleck-ball count. In their 11-run defeat to England, the only loss in the group stage, India consumed 51 no-run balls (8.5 overs), which went down to 41(6.5 overs) in the coming game against Ireland.
But it’s easily a sign that India is still to crack the T20 law despite perfecting their scoring rate. The lack of control on the proceedings from the baits has put India in a spot but against Australia, a reprise of the status quo would prove to be a disaster.
Play perfect cricket
India will have to first address their worrying no run-ball count. In their 11-run defeat to England, the only loss in the group stage, India maundered through 51 fleck balls (8.5 overs), which went down to 41(6.5 overs) in the coming game against Ireland. But it’s easily a sign that India is still to crack the T20 cricket despite achieving their scoring rate.
