IND vs AUS, Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: Unbeaten Australia next challenge for wounded India
After a blitz from Nadine de Klerk stole a win from under India’s feet against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam a few days ago, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur sat quietly, processing the downward spiral.
It was a game India’s famed batting lineup should have put to bed before the fielding effort began. But the top order, like it did against Sri Lanka in Guwahati and Pakistan in Colombo, combusted meekly.
There’s barely any turnaround time, with defending champion Australia calling on Sunday.
Centuries from Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney saved the top-ranked side the blushes against New Zealand and Pakistan, proving the value of having 11 players who can bat. That said, captain and opener Alyssa Healy doesn’t think the side will pick being conservative early on.
“The PowerPlay still plays a crucial role in this World Cup. It seems to be throughout the middle overs that some sides have been managing to squeeze oppositions, but I still think if you can get off to a good start and set a platform, that’s going to be really important to putting a good total out there or chasing something down. There’s a bit of a fine balance in that regard,” she explained.
India, too, has been propped up by middle-order rescue acts in every game so far. Worryingly, its top five averages lower (23.13) than SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) – and therein lies the problem. Australia’s versatile and effective bowling attack might not allow a recovery if the top five fail again. An alarming dot-ball percentage is another concern.
It might be worth revisiting the team combination ahead of the crucial fixture. India operates with five bowling options. Harmanpreet came in as the sixth in the South Africa game. Against an Aussie arsenal that’s packed in both departments, India might want to bring in reinforcements.
Published on Oct 11, 2025
