Match Details:
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, Final,
India vs Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
8 March, 2020
12:30 pm (IST)
Preview:
Defending champions and hosts Australia are all set to face India, the only team that has beaten Australia in this tournament, in the much anticipated final at the MCG. India, being the only unbeaten team this World Cup till now, entered the finals for the first time after rain washed out the semifinal clash against England while Australia won a close rain-curtailed encounter against a strong South African unit in the semifinals.
Coming into the World Cup, both teams had good preparations as they played a tri-series in Australia, which also featured England. Interestingly, it was these two teams who played the final in the tri-series with Australia emerging victorious. The two teams are almost identical to that final with one majopr addition to the Indian team; Poonam Yadav, who single-handedly turned the game in India’s favor when these two sides met in the league stage.
India have not been at their best with the bat, with the two most experienced players Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana not being in form. Shafali has given flying starts and has been consistent, Jemimah and Deepti have played some good hands as well. But overall the batting does not inspire much confidence. Bowling, however, has been the biggest strength for India. With one of the best spin bowling lineups in the tournament, India have followed the strategy of strangling the opposition with quality spin the middle overs. No team has successfully managed to get the better of Indian spinners and going into the final, India would want the spinners to spin the magic one last time.
Australia have relied on a flexible batting order, unlike India. The likes of Gardener, Lanning, Haynes and Jonassen bat in the middle order, with their slots depending on the situation. Lanning has been in great form and so have been Mooney and Haynes. Healy has blown hot and cold, but given the match-winner she is, Australia will want Sunday to be her day. The batting seems to be quite superior on paper than India and also is in good form. In the bowling department, Australia had to make a few changes in the course of the tournament, with Perry being ruled out due to injury. Schutt is back into her wicket-taking form and Kimmince was impressive in the semifinals. The spinners Jonassen and Wareham have also been amongst wickets in the middle overs, but are a still a little behind their Indian counterparts. Unlike India, the Aussies are not too over-reliant on their bowlers.
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Despite India getting the better of Australia in the league stage, the hosts start as slight favorites in the final. India has a superior bowling attack and a well-balanced squad, but the Aussies have an in-form squad which is coming into the final with more exposure to high-pressure situations. Plus, unlike India who will be worried about the batting, Australia have no major area of concern.
Players to watch out:
Shafali Verma : The top-ranked T20I batsmen in the world, Shafali Verma has been in terrific form this World Cup, bettering her performances in every subsequent match. Reaching the top of the ICC rankings in just 18 innings, Verma’s fearless approach has given the Indian batting a new dimension. Her blitzkrieg starts have more than made up for the lack of form of Kaur and Mandhana so far in the tournament. She is the fourth highest run-getter in this World Cup, with all her scores being above 30. Cometh the final, India would want their teenage sensation to take the attack to the Aussies and give India a flier.
Bet on Shafali Verma to be the top run-scorer for India with odds of 7/4
Poonam Yadav: The leg-spinner, having taken 9 wickets in the tournament so far, turned the match on its head with 4 wickets in the group stage when India played Australia. She has been tough to get away with, especially with her slower and flighted deliveries deceiving batsmen more often than not. Poonam’s wicket-taking ability in the middle overs will decide the course of the final to a large extent, for this has been India’s strength in this tournament. And given the form she is in, it will be no surprise if she spins the Aussies in her web yet again and get India the maiden title.
Jess Jonassen: The last time Australia played India in a final, Jonassen proved to be a game-changer with a 5-wicket haul, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Moreover, she has constantly been amongst wickets in this World Cup and also bowls the crucial overs. The unsung hero in Australia’s journey to the final, Jonassen holds the key to Australia putting brakes on the Indian lineup with regular wickets. With the bat, she is yet to fire in the tournament, but knowing the big match player she is, she might prove to be a game-changer with the bat as well.
Beth Mooney: Swashbuckling opener Beth Mooney goes into the final being the third highst run getter in the tournament with 181 runs. Having a best score of 81 with 2 fifties under her belt, Mooney has been consistent with the bat after the first two games. Mooney giving perfect starts has been one of the major factors why the hosts have managed to turn things around after the initial loss to India. Australia will look to get the best out of the left-hander in the finals in order to challenge the strong Indian bowling. More so as she being the left-hander is capable of countering the two left-arm spinners as well as Poonam Yadav. If she manages to keep Indian spinners at bay, she might win half the battle for Australia single-handedly.
Bet on Beth Mooney to be the highest run-scorer for Australia with odds of 2/1
Probable Playing XIs:
India
India are unlikely to make any change to the XI that played against Sri Lanka. The four-spinner attack is India’s biggest strength and Radha Yadav with her impressive performances is likely to retain her place.
Smriti Madhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gaekwad
Australia
Australia had to make a forced change in the semifinals after Ellyse Perry was ruled out due to a hip injury. But with the replacement in the form of Kimmince doing well, they will most likely go with the same squad.
Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (C), Ashleigh Gardener, Rachel Haynes, Jess Jonassen, Nicola Carey, Georgia Wareham, Delissa Kimmince, Megan Schutt, S Molineux