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the game due to an upper respiratory tract infection. Spin bowler Sneh Rana has been added to India’s squad as a replacement.
Vastrakar had claimed two wickets in the World Cup so far but she fell ill a day before the crunch tie and now it has been confirmed that her tournament is all but over. Rana, who has played a total of 47 matches for India, including 24 T20I games is likely to be a straight-up replacement.
Questions also loom over the availability of captain Harmanpreet Kaur. If reports are to be believed, the Indian captain was admitted to a local hospital a day before the all-important semifinal fixture. If Harmanpreet fails to recover in time for the fixture, then vice-captain Smriti Mandhana may be seen leading the Indian side. She might be replaced by batter Harleen Deol in the playing XI, with India likely to miss Kaur’s experience in the knockout tie, that too against Meg Lanning’s side.
Australia, on the other hand, entered the semi-finals after finishing the group stage unbeaten. Wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, despite missing Australia’s last match against South Africa due to quad soreness, has slammed two fifties in three games.
Tahlia McGrath also gave a good example of her batting power when she hit a fifty against South Africa. Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown have been very impactful with bat and ball on various occasions for Australia during the tournament.
While Megan has picked eight wickets at an average of 9.75, and an economy rate of 5.57, Georgia has scalped six wickets in three games at an economy rate of 5.27. Australia do enter the semi-final as overwhelming favourites for the ticket to the final.
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