Cape Town: Australia captain Meg Lanning has won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the first semi-final of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Thursday.
Hours before the semifinal, India’s fast-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with an upper respiratory tract infection, with Sneh Rana named as her replacement in the squad. There were concerns over Harmanpreet Kaur’s availability due to fever but is now fit to play in the semi-final.
After winning the toss, Australia’s captain informed that left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen and fit-again Alyssa Healy have come into the playing eleven in place of Alana King and Annabel Sutherland.
“Pretty good wicket. Want to get out there and have some fun. Wicket has been playing well here. We’ll adjust accordingly. We have some good weapons to deal with what’s thrown at us,’ said Meg.
Harmanpreet said that Sneh, Yastika Bhatia, and Radha Yadav come into the playing eleven in place of unwell Pooja, Devika Vaidya and Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
“I was unwell but I am fine now. One thing we have been discussing is that we need to bat well. We have to do really well in all three departments.”
Australia and India last met in a global competition during the final of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup at the MCG, where Meg & Co. won to lift the trophy.
Australia have a 3-2 upper hand over India in Women’s T20 World Cup matches. But India is also the only side to whom Australia have lost twice since the T20Is in 2021.
Playing XIs
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Sneh Rana, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav and Renuka Thakur Singh
Australia: Alyssa Healy (wicketkeeper), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (captain), Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown
(IANS)
