Smriti Mandhana did not try to dodge the obvious question. Are Australia still a clear step ahead of everyone else, or have India finally hauled themselves on to the same rung?
“Again, I feel the gap has definitely narrowed with a few of our players playing the Big Bash [WBBL], them playing the WPL, their experiences being shared,” she said on the eve of the group-stage decider.
Key facts first
• India must beat Australia on Sunday to guarantee a semi-final place.
• Australia have cruised through the tournament, winning by 113, 98, nine wickets and 65 runs.
• India have beaten Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but lost to South Africa and dropped catches in almost every outing.
• The last bilateral T20I series between the sides, in February, finished 2-1 to India.
Form guide
Australia’s ruthless streak remains intact despite injuries to Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield. India, by contrast, have shuffled their XI four times in as many matches and still look unsure of their best combination. Yet that Adelaide series win is a recent reminder that they can land a punch.
Mandhana’s own 82 off 55 balls settled the Adelaide decider and she is again India’s leading run-scorer at this World Cup. “Yeah, we did well in the T20 format in Australia,” she noted. “We’ll take a lot of confidence from that.”
Quotes that matter
“We all are really looking forward to it. A very important match for us, a must-win for us to go through. Having said that, we’ll stick with the processes. We’ll go out there, work hard, work really hard, and try to put up the best we can.” – Smriti Mandhana
“We’ve all spoken a lot about how we really want to play the aggressive brand of cricket and that’s something which we’ll all look to do tomorrow.” – Smriti Mandhana
Analysis – why the gap feels smaller
1. Shared dressing rooms
The Women’s Premier League and the WBBL have mixed players from both sides. Friendships help, but more importantly Indian batters now face Australian quicks every winter, and vice-versa. Familiarity chips away at the myth of invincibility.
2. Bowling depth
Renuka Singh and Titas Sadhu offer new-ball swing; Pooja Vastrakar has added a reliable change-up; and the left-arm spin of Radha Yadav troubles even the best right-handers. Australia still boast variety, yet India’s attack no longer feels one-paced.
3. High-pressure reps
Since the 2022 Commonwealth Games final, India have featured in a tri-series in South Africa, the Asian Games, a home WPL season and that Adelaide tour. Those fixtures, plus last year’s ODI World Cup semi-final win over Australia, have hardened nerves.
Caveats remain
Fielding has been ragged, with five catches and two simple run-outs spilled against Bangladesh alone. Australia, who treat ground fielding as non-negotiable, will punish similar lapses. Selection, too, is unsettled; the management must decide between extra pace and an additional spin option on what is expected to be a slow track.
What to watch tomorrow
• Powerplay tussle – Can Shafali Verma and Mandhana dent Megan Schutt’s figures early?
• Middle overs – Georgia Wareham versus Jemimah Rodrigues could swing momentum either way.
• Death overs – India’s yorker discipline has wobbled; Ellyse Perry feasts on full tosses.
Mandhana insists the squad are prepared: “With the WPL, I feel the girls are very well prepped in terms of taking the high-pressure games a little better than what we could before.”
The tone is calm rather than bullish, in keeping with a side that knows the task ahead. Beat the champions and the semi-final door opens; falter again and questions about selection, fielding and missed opportunities will flood back.
For India, Sunday is not about hype. It is a straight-forward test of whether the narrowing gap Mandhana describes can be turned into a level playing field when it matters most.
