Women’s T20 World Cup: India vs. Australia Match Prediction

The Women’s T20 World Cup kick-starts on 21 February 2020 and fantasy sports players will have a chance to walk away as winners as well. India’s premier fantasy cricket app Howzat will be holding contests for every game that takes place in the tournament. With huge cash prizes on offer in fantasy cricket, cash game players will have a wonderful opportunity to make easy money as the teams eye the ultimate crown. Here are some fantasy cricket tips for you to help you pick the best fantasy cricket team.

• Match: India Women vs. Australia Women, Women’s T20 World Cup. Match 1
• Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground - Sydney, Australia
• Date: February 21, 2020, 1.30 PM IST

Australia Women vs. India Women 

Preview: The opening game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will see the defending champion Australia take on favourite India in the tournament opener. The Group A clash will be keenly followed, with the hosts holding the upper hand before the clash. The Aussies have won the title four times in the past and have a better head-to-head record against India, winning 13 of the 18 games that they have played against the latter. The side also won the recent T20I tri-series that also included England and India, where they beat India in the finals. Thus, they go into the game high on confidence.

Toss: There is a slight chance of rain in this encounter, which might bring the Duckworth-Lewis method into the equation. As it favours the side that bats second, the team that wins the toss in the opener might look to the chase.

Weather and pitch conditions: A heavy cloud cover is expected on Friday evening and rain might follow, which means that there is a chance of the game getting interrupted. However, the rain will not be very heavy, so the chances of a washout are slim. The Sydney Showground Stadium has hosted five games in the recent Big Bash League, and the games were not high-scoring ones. Only on one occasion did a team score more than 160. Hence, a wicket that has something in it for both batters and bowlers is on the cards.

Australia Women -- Team News and Probable Playing 11 

The Australians faced a huge setback after T Vlaeminck was ruled out of the edition this week due to stress in her feet. M Strano has been called up to the side and is expected to play the first match against the Indian Eves. A Sutherland has retained her spot in the side after an impressive performance in domestic cricket and will be eager to leave her mark, while M Lanning, E Perry and A Healy bring experience and will hold the aces in the batting department.

Probable playing 11: A Healy (wk), B Mooney, A Gardner, M Lanning (c), E Perry, A Sutherland, R Haynes, N Carey, J Jonassen, M Schutt, M Strano

Key players: M Lanning, the Aussie captain, is the leading run-scorer in the format. She has smashed two hundred and 13 fifties thus far and will look to make a mark. E Perry is the best all-rounder in the world currently, consistently performing well with both the bat and the ball. She has four fifties and 113 wickets to her name and enters the competition with great confidence after a fine performance in the T20 tri-series. M Schutt is the number one ranked bowler in ICC T20 cricket. She has 76 wickets from 61 games and has a phenomenal record against India. 

India Women -- Team News and Probable Playing 11 

All-rounder and skipper H Kaur will lead the Indian side in the Women’s T20 World Cup. R Ghosh has been roped in as well after a string of good showings in the Challengers Trophy for India. B. R Gayakwad, who also impressed in the domestic event, finds a place as well while Mansi Joshi and Anuja Patil have been overlooked. H Deol returns after injury, and T Bhatia is India’s lone wicket-keeper.

Probable playing 11: Shafali S V, S Mandhana, Richa G, J Rodrigues, H Kaur (c), Deepti S, Arundhati R, Shikha P, Radha Y, T Bhatia (wk), R Gayakwad

Key players: S Mandhana is one of the most fearsome batters in the world. She has plenty of experience in the Australian conditions and is expected to score really well. H Kaur is the X-factor in the line-up, as she can win games with her big-hitting. Her off-spin comes handy as well in the middle overs. Deepti S is one of the most successful bowlers for India in the format with 49 wickets in 43 matches. She had a good run in the tri-series, where she ended up with seven wickets.

Suggested Howzat Dream Team 

Wicket-keeper: A Healy was the Player of the Tournament in 2018, and though she has scored just 15 runs in her last five innings, one expects her to bring her the best in the World Cup. T Bhatia (8 credits) can be a good differential to have in the side.

Batters: S Mandhana (10.5 credits) and M Lanning (9 credits) are the two batters to watch out for in the upcoming game. Shafali S V (8.5 credits) is a utility pick, as she has been giving her team aggressive starts at the top.

All-rounders: E Perry (10 credits) is worth every penny as she is a genuine match-winner. H Kaur is the best all-rounder from India and, along with Deepti S (9 credits), will hold the responsibility in the middle overs.

Bowlers: Radha Y has been doing a good job for India Women recently, while N Carey, with her variations, can be tough to face. M Schutt is the best bowler in the world and deserves a look in.

Captain and Vice-Captain: E Perry and S Mandhana

NOTE: The suggested Howzat dream team is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy cricket team by using your knowledge of cricket. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual Playing 11 is announced by each team (15 to 30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the playing 11.