Shafali, Healy toil in nets ahead of India-Oz semis

With the India-Australia semifinal around the corner, the presence of Australia skipper Alyssa Healy at practice at the DY Patil Stadium here on Tuesday created a lot of buzz.

While the first semifinal between England and South Africa is scheduled for Wednesday in Guwahati, the talk of the town is the game between Australia and India, to be played here on Thursday.

Healy had suffered a calf injury during a training session ahead of Australia’s league clash against England last week, and eventually missed their last two matches. Healy was seen training after undergoing a fitness test, indicating that she will play in the semifinal. She participated in wicketkeeping drills before batting in the nets. Healy had scored 142 off 107 balls against India in their league fixture.

In the Indian camp, all the focus is on who will open the innings alongside vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Shafali Verma, who was added to the squad after opener Pratika Rawal was ruled out of the tournament due to ankle and knee injuries, was seen playing her big shots during an hour-long batting session in the nets.