&w=1024&resize=1024,0&ssl=1 "Women's T20 World Cup 2024: India look for big win against injury-hit Australia | Women's T20 World Cup 2024 News")
A confident India will look to control their fortunes by securing another win to boost their net run rate when they face injury-ravaged Australia in their must-win Women's World T20 match here on Sunday.
India's big win over Sri Lanka earlier this week significantly boosted their chances of reaching the semi-finals despite their shock defeat to New Zealand in the opener.
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Meanwhile, Australia, with six points from three matches and an impressive net run rate of +2.786, have qualified for the semi-finals, with India, New Zealand and Pakistan fighting for the remaining places.
However, the defending champions suffered two injuries during Friday's win over Pakistan, with captain Alyssa Healy leaving the field with a serious right leg injury and fast bowler Tela Vlemink dislocating her shoulder.
With the pair, who will undergo scans on Saturday, expected to miss Sunday's crucial clash, Australia's depth will be tested.
India's 82-run victory over Sri Lanka marked the biggest margin in the tournament's history, not only boosting confidence but also turning the net run rate from negative to positive.
The victory took the team to second place in Group A, behind only Australia, who are undefeated in the tournament. But India, who are on 4 points, need a win to keep their knockout aspirations alive as New Zealand have one more game in hand and could reach a total of 6 points.
In this case, eligibility will depend on the net execution rate. While India currently holds an NRR of +0.567, New Zealand (-0.050) can overtake Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. with notable wins over Pakistan and struggling Sri Lanka.
Pakistan's 2 points from three matches. If they beat New Zealand in the last match and India lose to Australia, all three teams will probably be stuck on 4 points and again NRR will come into play.
So the 'Women in Blue' will be desperate not just for a win but also for another increase in net run rate to combat any threat from the Kiwis.
India have always challenged the Aussies and with a place in the last four on the line, Harmanpreet Kaur will want her team to bring their A game once again.
The return to the top order with Shefali Verma, Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet will benefit the team.
It will be India's first match here and considering the venue has been difficult for the batsmen, a lot will depend on the trio and Jemima Rodriguez, who is eyeing a big innings.
The bowlers, who had impressive performances against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will be hoping to keep their opponents calm.
If Healy is out, Australia will face the challenge of finding a new captain, wicketkeeper and opening batsman, significantly changing their line-up. Beth Mooney will take on the responsibility of keeping the wicket.
But vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, who is expected to lead the team against India, insists Australia is ready to rely on the strength of its squad.
“We have depth in this Australian team. It’s time to use it,” he said on Friday.
Squad:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shefali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemima Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Bhastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Tagore, Dayalan Hemalta, Asha Shobna, Radha Yadav, Shreyan Patil, Sajna Sajivan
Australia: Alyssa Healy (C), Darcy Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (VC), Sophie Molyneux, Beth Mooney, Elise Perry, Megan Shute, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlemink, Georgia Wareham
The match will start at 7:30 pm IST.
(Only the title and image for this report may have been reworked by the Business Standards team; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a distributed feed.)
