Women's T20 WC: 'We want to carry momentum into the semis,' says Carey ahead of India clash
London, June 28
Australia all-rounder Nicola Carey said her side is determined to maintain its winning momentum heading into the semi-finals as the defending champions take on India in their final Group stage match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord's Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Australia entered the contest unbeaten with four wins from four matches and have already secured a place in the last four. However, Carey insisted the six-time champions are not taking the match lightly and are keen to finish the group stage with another victory.
"Definitely want to achieve a win. It's a huge game in the context of our group. We want to carry some momentum into the semis," Carey said ahead of the start of play.
The experienced all-rounder also spoke about the excitement of playing at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground and said Australia's familiarity with English conditions has been a major advantage throughout the tournament.
"It's a great ground to play at and it's already buzzing. A lot of our girls have spent a lot of time playing over here. There's good knowledge around the group of the different grounds we've played at," she said.
Australia's batting unit has been one of the standout performers in the tournament, with contributions coming from throughout the line-up. Carey credited the team's top-order for consistently laying strong foundations that have allowed the middle and lower order to play with freedom.
"I sort of get the hit-and-giggle role, I like to call it. Our girls have been amazing at the top of the order. Everyone's contributed at different times and laid really good platforms for the middle to lower order to come in and have fun at the back end," she added.
Despite Australia already booking their semi-final berth, Carey expects another fiercely contested encounter against India, who need a victory to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
"It's always a huge game playing against them. They're a quality outfit. The crowd always gets behind them. We've had some really good games against them in recent times. Huge game, huge tournament, hopefully it's an exciting game," she said.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first, with Kranti Gaud replacing Nandini Sharma in the only change to the playing XI. Australia made one change as well, bringing back Phoebe Litchfield in place of Alana King.
— IANS
Reader Comments
"Hit-and-giggle role" 😂 Love Carey's attitude! But honestly, we need to fire with both bat and ball. Kranti Gaud getting a game is interesting - hope she brings that youthful energy. Also, why drop Nandini? She bowled well against Bangladesh.
This is a must-win game for us. Australia are six-time champions for a reason, but our girls have heart. Just hoping the middle order doesn't collapse like earlier matches. Smriti and Shafali need to give us a strong start. Lord's should be buzzing today!
Fair play to Australia - they've been clinical throughout. But India always brings a special energy to this rivalry. The crowd support at Lord's will be something else. Let's see if we can pull off an upset and knock the defending champions off their perch.
Honestly, our bowling has been a concern. Too many boundary balls in the death overs. Australia's batting lineup is stacked - from Healy to Mooney to McGrath. We need to be smart with our plans. And please, no dropped catches today!
Love how Carey described her role - "hit-and-giggle" 😄 But jokes aside, Australia's ability to rotate strike and find gaps is second to none. Harmanpreet and Jemimah need to rotate the strike better. Too many dot balls in the middle overs against quality teams.
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