India's Match-Winners vs Australia: Can Women in Blue Topple Champions?

India, who lost to Australia in the group stage match in Visakhapatnam, have to fire all their cylinders in the knockout clash to overcome the Aussie challenge in front of a packed crowd at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

India will be without their in-form opener Pratika Rawal, who has been ruled out of the tournament. In her place, swashbuckling batter Shefali Verma has been drafted into the squad and will be available to partner Smriti Mandhana at the top for Thursday's semifinal.

On the other hand, Australia are sweating on the fitness of their captain Alyssa Healy, who has been dealing with a calf strain.

"There will definitely be pressure when you're playing a World Cup semifinal at home, but that atmosphere can also work in India's favour. The crowd will act as the team's 12th player and give them a huge lift. Australia are tough opponent, but this Indian side has enough match-winners to challenge them. Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Renuka Singh Thakur have all made significant contributions through the tournament, and every player has stepped up at key moments," Reema said on JioStar's 'Cricket Live'.

"If India can get their opening combination right, it will make a massive difference. Australia haven't faced defeat yet, but that also brings its own pressure. On such a big stage, it will come down to which team handles the pressure better."

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim highlighted that the all-important clash's fate will be decided by the team that excels in the pressure situations. He called on India not to allow Australia to snatch such moments from them by combining 'intensity, precise game planning, and effective execution'.

"Australia truly are an exceptional side and deserves their number one status across formats, given how many match-winners they possess. While they arrive with a remarkable streak, the outcome in a knockout match hinges on who seizes the big moments. Australia excel because they recognise when those opportunities arise and make the most of them," he said.

"For India to succeed, it's vital to not allow such windows to open, and if they do, to shut them quickly by capitalising at the right time. India needs to combine intensity, precise game planning, and effective execution, avoiding minor errors against a side like Australia. Ultimately, those critical moments will determine the winner, and the home support will be invaluable during the semi-finals."

- IANS