Tri-Nation T20 Series, Match 5, Australia Women vs India Women: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

A defeat against England Women has brought India Women on the verge of getting knocked out from the Tri-Nation T20 Tournament. However, they still stand with an outside chance – but for that they have to beat Australia Women by a considerable margin in Match 5.

The match followed a pattern very similar to the India’s previous match, against Australia. This time Smriti Mandhana (45 in 40 balls) and Jemimah Rodrigues (23 in 20) took India to 62/1 in the 10th over. Then, not for the first time, the middle order let them down, and India crawled to 123/6.

As in the Australia match, the spinners – led by Rajeshwari Gayakwad (4-0-23-3) – did a reasonable job. Had Nat Sciver been given caught-behind off Shikha Pandey – England needed 24 in 23 balls at that stage – India might have made a comeback. But that did not happen, and England cantered home with 7 balls to spare.

Australia do have a thing or two to worry. They had to chase a mere 104 against India, but they lost 6 wickets for that, and Ellyse Perry (49 in 47) and Ashleigh Gardner (22 in 14) were the only ones to reach double figures. Their bowlers, generally clinical, could not prevent Heather Knight and Fran Wilson from adding 115 in 66 balls in the match before that. Mind you, Meg Lanning is still recovering, and may want to give this one a skip as well.

Despite that, an explosive middle order and a top-quality pace attack make Australia firm favourites going into the match.

Head to head

Australia have won 12 matches to India’s 4, but the record on Australian soil (3-2) – is not as one-sided.

Key players

Tayla Vlaeminck (Australia Women): Vlaeminck always had the ability to generate steep bounce while bowling at searing pace. To add to that, she is now as accurate from over the wicket as well as around. Definitely one to keep eyes on, even in the T20 World Cup.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad (India Women): Returning to the T20I side after well over a year, Gayakwad has, till now, registered figures of 12-0-60-7 in the tournament. With Poonam Yadav set to return, she will be one of India’s two finger-spinners in the big tournament.

Likely XIs

Australia Women: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Rachael Haynes (c), Jess Jonassen, Nicola Carey, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck, Megan Schutt.

India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Prediction

Australia to win and proceed to the final.