Story so far
India may have done it the hard way, but in the end they got the job done, surviving a few scares along the way to reach the knockout stages on home soil.
Wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan got them going, but three successive defeats, against South Africa, Australia and England, put the pressure on a team already dealing with the expectations of the home crowd.
The response was emphatic: Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal both scored centuries as India scored 340 for three against New Zealand, their highest ever score in a ICC Women’s Cricket World Cupto book their place in the semi-finals.
A nil result against Bangladesh, which resulted in an injury for Rawal and the highest ever attendance for a group stage match at any ICC women’s event (25,965), wrapped up India’s group stage and they now prepare for the toughest test of all, with Australia lurking in wait.
Key moment
A partnership rather than an individual moment, the 212-run stand between Mandhana and Rawal against New Zealand was exactly what India needed in a must-win match.
After a cautious start, scoring just 18 in the first six overs, both openers shifted through the gears in style, hitting several landmarks along the way.
Mandhana joined Tazmin Britten in five ODI centuries this year, the first time the milestone has been achieved in women’s cricket, while Rawal became the fastest woman to reach 1000 ODI runs. The partnership was also India’s highest at any ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
It set the tone for a crucial victory and took away the remaining pressure from the final group match.
Top performers
Mandhana and Rawal have been in good form throughout and are the leading run-scorers in the competition with 365 and 308 respectively.
That makes Rawal’s injury-forced absence for the knockout stages a special blow, with Shafali Verma – who hasn’t played an ODI in 12 months – called up as her replacement in the squad.
With the ball, Deepti Sharma tops the wickets list with 15 scalps to her name. She has not managed to take a wicket in any match so far and will be crucial to India’s chances against the reigning champions.
History against opponent in the semi-finals
The recent clashes between India and Australia have been a treat and there is little indication that this week’s final episode will be any different given the firepower on display.
The group stage between the two countries saw Australia achieve a record run chase, Alyssa Healy shooting 142 as they chased 330, while in the third of a three-match series in September, 781 points were scored, 412 of which were by Australia, as they had the upper hand by 43.
India have won just one of their last 11 ODIs against Australia, but captain Harmanpreet Kaur will have fond memories of the last time they faced them in a World Cup semi-final in 2017.
Kaur hit a scintillating 171 not out off 115 balls while Sharma scored with three for 59 as India won by 36 runs in Derby. Navi Mumbai fans are hoping a repeat is on the way.
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