The crucial 2nd semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 is taking place on Thursday, October 30, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, pitting India Women against Australia Women.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, facing a tough challenge against an Australian side that saw the return of skipper Alyssa Healy for the toss. Australia won the coin flip and elected to bat first, setting the stage for a tense knockout encounter. Both teams made strategic changes to their playing XIs, with India forced to adjust due to a key injury.
Reason behind absence of Harleen Deol and Uma Chetry from IND vs AUS Women’s World Cup 2025 semifinal match
The India Women’s team entered the semi-final with three important changes to their playing XI, necessitated partially by injury and partly by selection calls from captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The most crucial alteration was a forced change resulting from the injury to Pratika Rawal. Rawal, who was listed as India’s “second leading run-getter in the tournament,” was sadly ruled out of the match after sustaining knee and ankle injuries in the previous game. Stepping in for her massive shoes was Shafali Verma, a dynamic young opener.
In addition to this forced substitution, India made two other changes: both Uma Chetry and Harleen Deol were “resting today”, indicating a management decision to rotate the squad or manage player fatigue. Their spots were filled by Richa Ghosh and Kranti Gaud, who were brought back into the side. These changes gave India a refreshed look but certainly challenged their balance due to the absence of the in-form Rawal.
Women’s World Cup 2025 semifinal match: Toss and Australia’s lineup adjustment under Alyssa Healy
In a significant development for the knockout stage, Australia won the toss at the DY Patil Stadium and chose to bat first in the 2nd semi-final of the Women’s World Cup. The coin toss also marked the return of key Australian player Alyssa Healy, who took her place back at the helm to lead the team against India.
Australia’s selection change was minor and tactical, with Sophie Molineux coming into the playing XI. Molineux replaced Georgia Wareham, indicating a specific strategic adjustment by the Women in Yellow for the conditions or the opposition batting lineup. Despite the pressure of the semi-final, Australia’s choice to set a target reflects confidence in their formidable batting order and the belief that runs on the board would prove decisive in a high-stakes chase. This decision immediately put the onus on the Indian bowlers to contain the powerful Australian top order.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
