Alyssa’s injury in focus as Australia face South Africa in Women’s World Cup

Australia would be hoping their “three-in-one” skipper Alyssa Healy is fit and raring to go in the top-of-the-table Women’s World Cup clash here on Saturday against South Africa, who have displayed remarkable resilience and fortitude to emerge as strong contenders for the prestigious trophy.

Healy, who performs the triple role of captain, opener, and wicketkeeper, had suffered a calf injury during training ahead of the match against England here on Wednesday with Tahlia McGrath leading the seven-time champions to a big win against the arch-rivals.

With the Proteas showing the intent to go the distance this time around by winning five consecutive games after the 10-wicket humiliation by England in the opener, 35-year-old Healy’s fitness becomes all the more important to counter the threat as she has been in great touch with the bat in the tournament.

Healy scored back-to-back centuries, against India and Bangladesh, which puts her third in the list of highest run-getters in the ongoing tournament behind India’s Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal despite playing two fewer games.

Healy’s absence against England forced quite a bit of juggling in the batting order but the team still won the contest with ease, with Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner, who pushed themselves down the order, stitching together an unbeaten 180-run partnership.

The kind of depth in Australia’s batting, complemented by their array of pace and spin bowlers, makes them the team to beat, and it would require a huge effort from South Africa to stop the juggernaut.

The game against England gave an insight into the Southern Stars’ fighting qualities where despite losing the top four—Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney—cheaply to be reduced to 68/4, the team dug deep into its reserves of experience to still score a facile win with Sutherland and Gardner scoring unbeaten 98 and 104 respectively.

South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt would be well aware of the great depth in Australian batting and would be banking on her fiery pace-bowling stalwart Marizanne Kapp to deliver a memorable performance.

Having started sedately, Kapp has seamlessly slipped into her allrounders’ role by taking six wickets and scoring two half centuries. But it’s the trio of openers Wolvaardt, and Tazmin Brits and top-order batter Sune Luus who will have to do the bulk of the scoring, as the Proteas do not have the same batting depth as their opponents.

The turnaround from the 10-wicket loss to England in the opening games has been simply outstanding.

But Australia are a different cup of tea and gauging their strengths and weaknesses before the knockouts would be a great way to staking claim to the title.

Teams (From):

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt ©, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloe Tryon.

Match starts at 3pm IST.