Updates:
Australian captain Alyssa Healy has won the toss and opted to bowl first against India in the Women's World Cup 2025 match against Vishakhapatnam. While India are unchanged, Australia have made one change to their eleven, bringing in Sophie Molineux for Georgia Wareham.
Australia Women (Playing XI): Alyssa Healy(w/c), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Alana King, Megan Schutt.
India Women (Playing XI): Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani.
The caravan Women's World Cup 2025 will return to Vishakhapatnam as India and Australia will battle it out in what is expected to be one of the biggest matches of the tournament. Both sides have batting issues of their own to fix but India will be more under pressure, given they are coming off a defeat to South Africa.
The Women in Blue have had batting collapses in all three matches thus far, with Richa Ghosh bailing them out twice against South Africa and Pakistan with stupendous knocks. Although India were in a strong position to defend 251 against the Proteas, their bowling at the death was exposed, while Nadine de Klerk produced a brilliant knock to stun the hosts. Nevertheless, it's the batting approach that India must recalibrate.
Australia also have had their fair share of struggles. They didn't find themselves as much in a mire as they were against Pakistan. At 76/7 against Pakistan in Colombo, the defending champions were at risk of getting bowled out for under 100. But Beth Mooney crafted one of the greatest-ever World Cup innings as Australia's bowling unit followed it up by pinning Pakistan down to the mat, defending 221 easily. Australia's bowling will doubtless be a dauting proposition for the home side.
Squads:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud.
Reserves: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare
Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
