Visakhapatnam, India – In a highly anticipated match at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, Australia faced off against host nation India today at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. The stadium was sold out, with 15,087 tickets purchased, highlighting the intense interest in this top-tier rivalry in women's cricket.
Both teams entered the match with a sense of urgency. Defending champions Australia, despite being undefeated, had experienced a shaky start to the tournament. A washout against Sri Lanka and a narrow escape against Pakistan, where they recovered from 76-7 to win by a significant margin, left them eager to solidify their position at the top of the ladder. India, after a strong start with two comprehensive wins, suffered a setback with a loss to South Africa. This defeat fueled their determination to reassert their dominance in front of their home crowd.
Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. India remained unchanged from their previous game, with Renuka Singh Thakur missing out on a spot in the playing eleven. The predicted India XI included Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, and Shree Charani. Australia made one change to their lineup. Their probable XI featured Alyssa Healy (captain & wicketkeeper), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham/Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Alana King, and Megan Schutt.
The match took place at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Other venues for the World Cup include Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Indore and Colombo.
The weather forecast indicated a minimal chance of rain, a welcome sign after the earlier disruption in the tournament. The pitch was expected to be sluggish initially, favoring bowlers, but improving for batting as the game progressed.
Australia holds a dominant record in head-to-head encounters, with 48 wins compared to India's 11 in ODIs. In Women's World Cup matches, Australia has won 10 out of 13 encounters, with India securing three victories.
Smriti Mandhana, despite holding a world record of 972 runs in women's ODIs in 2025, has yet to make a significant score in the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur will be a focal point for India after modest scores of 9, 19, and 21 in the tournament so far. Alyssa Healy leads defending champions Australia. Sophie Molineux who has recovered from a knee injury, is part of Australia's squad. Heather Graham replaced the injured Grace Harris.
The eight-team tournament is scheduled from September 30 to November 2. The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals after all teams have faced each other in a round-robin format.
