The last four standing

The Indian team is one win away from reaching its third final of the ICC Women’s World Cup. Having lost in 2005 and 2017, India are still searching for their first title; and the road to the final won’t be easy this time either. Standing in India’s way are defending champions Australia who are looking for their eighth title. The clash is scheduled here on October 30.

The last clash between India and Australia in Visakhapatnam ended up being a high scoring game with Australia chasing down 330 in 49 overs. In the run-up to the World Cup, Australia defeated India 2-1 in a three-match ODI series played in Mullanpur and Delhi.

India have a slight advantage over Australia having played their last two matches at the DY Patil Stadium here. They beat New Zealand convincingly to qualify for the semifinals and were on their way to a comfortable victory against Bangladesh

when the game was abandoned due to rain.

Australia have not played a single match at the venue in this World Cup. However, the Australians are known for their adaptability. Incidentally, the Aussies defeated India 2-1 in a three-match T20I series played at this venue last year.

Meanwhile, four-time champions England will be up against South Africa in the other semifinal in Guwahati on October 29. The Proteas finished third in the standings after England leapfrogged them following their victory over New Zealand on the final day of the league stage. The two teams had faced each other at the same venue in the league stage, with England thrashing South Africa by 10 wickets after bowling them out for 69. While England finished the league stage with a convincing victory, South Africa come into the semifinal after another embarrassing loss. They lost to Australia by seven wickets after being bundled out for 97. In between those two batting collapses, South Africa did pull off some stunning chases. To put the contest on an even keel, England’s batting has not been the most consistent either.

Pratika ruled out, Shafali comes in

With their biggest test of the World Cup around the corner, India were hit with the news of Pratika Rawal being ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to an injury. Rawal twisted her right ankle while fielding during India’s game against Bangladesh here on Sunday. The in-form opener is the second-highest run-getter in the tournament so far, amassing 308 runs from six innings at an average of 51.33. She hit her maiden World Cup century in the game against New Zealand here on Thursday.

The major challenge for India will be finding her replacement. In the match against Bangladesh, India promoted Amanjot Kaur to the top alongside Smriti Mandhana. She was looking good until rain halted the match. However, the semifinal against Australia will not be a time for experimentation. The management could go with Harleen Deol or Jemimah Rodrigues, who batted at No. 3 against New Zealand and played an impactful innings. The BCCI has confirmed Shafali Verma as Rawal’s replacement in the squad.