The playoffs of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 will kick-start on Thursday as India Women will be battling it out against Australia Women. The much-fancied game of cricket is scheduled to be played at the Newlands in Cape Town.
Australia Women are likely to be a dominant force on Thursday as they were absolutely spectacular during the league round of the competition. The team won all four league matches to finish the league games at the top of the Group A points table.
The Kangaroo Women had a big injury concern in their last game against South Africa Women as their star batter, Alyssa Healy, had to sit out. However, the team management confirmed that it was a minor injury and the 32-year-old will be fit to participate in the semi-final. Thus, Australia will be playing with their full strength on Thursday.
Meanwhile, India Women are also expected to field their strongest playing XI in the first semi-final match to score a place in the final. The team confirmed a place in the second round of the T20 extravaganza by winning three of its four league games.
A thrilling game of cricket is awaited between Women in Blue and Women in Yellow, as both teams will be filled with confidence and momentum on Thursday.
What has happened so far?
Australia Women dominated the league round of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 by being unbeatable. They started the competition with a win against New Zealand Women by 97 runs.
The team followed it up with three back-to-back victories against Bangladesh Women, Sri Lanka Women, and South Africa Women by eight wickets, ten wickets, and six wickets, respectively.
All four games saw bowlers leading from the front and ensuring a win for the team as they did not concede over 125 runs in any game in their allotted 20 overs. India Women also established their domination early in the tournament with two victories against Pakistan Women and West Indies Women by seven and six wickets, respectively.
The team lost momentum for a brief period as they were defeated by England Women by 11 runs, but they were quick to make a comeback by winning against Ireland Women in their last league match by five runs.
Head to Head Record
Australia Women enjoy clear domination over India Women especially in the shortest format of the game when it comes to head-to-head records.
The two teams have faced each other a total of 30 times in the T20 Internationals and the Kangaroo Women have scored a victory a whopping 22 times. India Women have won seven games while one T20 International between the two was abandoned.
India Women will be eager to end their losing streak of three games against Australia Women on Thursday
The two teams last locked horns against each other in a five-match T20I series in December 2022 as Australia Women travelled to India. The series did not as per the plan for the host team as they ended up losing four of five matches.
Key Players
Alyssa Healy (Australia Women)
The veteran batter Alyssa Healy has emerged as the backbone of Australia Women’s batting line-up. The 32-year-old churned out some brilliant performances during the league round to be the top run-getter for her team.
She is occupying third place in the overall run-scoring list with 146 runs under her belt at an average of 73.00 and a strike rate of over 124.
The batter had to sit out for the team’s last game against South Africa Women because of injury. However, it was a minor scar and Healy will be fit to feature in the semi-final battle against India Women.
Smriti Mandhana (India Women)
India’s top-order batter Smriti Mandhana will be the most crucial player for the team in the semi-final game against Australia Women. After missing the first game against Pakistan Women due to an injury, she has caused carnage on the field.
Smriti is the second-highest run-getter in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 with 149 runs in three matches at a stunning average of 49.67. The opening batter will be buzzing with momentum as she played a crucial knock of 87 runs in India’s last league match against Ireland Women to steer them to a win by five runs.
Predicted Playing XI
Australia Women: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Georgia Wareham, Grace Harris, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur©, Richa Ghosh(wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh
Prediction
It will be a battle to watch out for on Thursday as both India Women and Australia Women are strong contenders for winning the trophy. However, if we compare the two teams, the Kangaroo Women have slightly more chances of winning the semi-final match and booking a berth in the final.
Australia is unbeatable in the competition with four wins to their name from as many games. Moreover, they emerged as winners in four of their last T20 Internationals against India Women.