New Delhi: The World Cup semi-finals will be on the minds of both teams when India and Australia meet at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
The eighteenth match of the tournament represents an opportunity for Australia to become the first team to guarantee a spot in the knockout stages of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.
And while Australia are likely already through to the final four, another win for the world’s top-ranked side would make it five from five during the group stage and mathematically guarantee a place in the semis with two matches to spare.
But for India, Saturday’s match is also a great chance to take a step towards reaching the semi-finals as they go in search of a first-ever Cricket World Cup title.
Crushing wins over Pakistan and West Indies have highlighted the class in India’s team. But inconsistency with the bat has hampered them in the tournament to-date, with the top order struggling to click against New Zealand and England, with Mithali Raj’s side losing both of those matches.