India, Oz eves excited about first game in WC

Matches between the two sides have been keenly contested. The teams are coming off the tri-nation T20I series final on Wednesday, which Australia won after Jess Jonassen ran through India’s middle order to hand her side an 11-run victory.

But they both had one win each in their contests in the round robin stage; and, in the last edition of the World Cup in the West Indies, India had got the better of Australia in the group stage.

“I think it will be one of the most important games in my career,” said star India batter Jemimah Rodrigues. “Playing a World Cup ... the first match in Australia and for me first time playing (a World Cup) in Australia. Nothing is more exciting then India in Australia, so it will be a match we all will be keen to play and just excited, can’t wait to get to the first match.”

“We’re really excited about the opening match against Australia,” added India bowler Shikha Pandey. “It’s going to be a challenge, obviously, it’s the World Cup, so the best teams are going to play against each other.”

“There are some things we still have to figure out with our batting and we are trying hard to do that. The best way to support the middle order is for the top order to bat 20 overs. I think we need to try and bat long as a top four.

“We must try not to get out in the 16th or 17th over and the problem will be sorted if we can stay until the 20th over,” said Smriti Mandhana, who rose to number four in the ICC rankings on Friday

The two teams have some of the best batters in their line-ups. Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur have proven records against Australia, while Australia’s Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy have enjoyed excellent numbers in the pastyear especially.

Australia fast bowler Megan Schutt was all praise for opener Mandhana, who top-scored in the tri-series with 216 runs at an average of 43.20. “Smriti Mandhana is on another level,” Schutt said. “She’s put me over the fence countless times both on international and WBBL level unfortunately. She’s got the x-factor, she’s a left-hander, can hit to all the areasof the field.”

Schutt was also wary of skipper Harmanpreet, who struck a blazing 171* in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 semi-final against Australia. 

“(They) have someone like Harmanpreet Kaur come out, who can just swing it like no other really, and kind of put you out of the stadium. And she’s obviously, kind of climbed to fame in the World Cup with a huge innings there and I think since then she’s also proved that she can do in other matches.”