India is set to enter in a semifinal clash against Australia as the underdog but former captain Anjum Chopra believes Mithali Raj & Co. can get the better of the defending champions.
The Women in Blue had begun the tournament in an emphatic manner, winning four games on the trot including the opener against hosts England but lost the next two which threatened to derail their campaign. However, they bounced back just when it mattered the most as they thrashed New Zealand by a whooping margin of 186 runs to storm into the semifinal.
On the other hand, reigning world champions Australia have looked like the team to beat throughout the tournament. Barring the last over loss against England, Meg Lanning & Co. have won all their group games including the impressive 8-wicket victory against India and will surely enter the semifinal match with their confidence sky high. Moreover, their track record in the World Cup and against India will also boost their confidence. The team from Down Under has won 6 of the last 10 World Cups and have defeated India in 34 ODIs while losing just 8.
But despite the odds stacked firmly against India, Anjum Chopra believes the team can spring a surprise at Derby on Thursday (July 20).
“Yes, I think India can beat Australia,” Chopra told ESPNcricinfo. “When I say that, I am not just being hopeful that India should be in a final. The reason I say that is, I’ve always felt that anytime you get into a quarter-final or a semi-final, there’s always one match that as a team you need to play well together, even if they are the current world champions.
“Definitely they are a beatable side. Yes, they have been world champions often, so they’ve seen themselves as an Australian team in this situation much more times than the Indian team. So yes, the confidence is there, they know how to come to this stage and how to conquer this stage, which will apparently be missing in the Indian line-up,” she added.
One of India’s major concern going into the match will be Smriti Mandhana’s poor form. The 20-year old opener had started the tournament with two sublime knocks of 90 and 106* but could not cross the 13-run mark in the next five games. And while Chopra admitted that India would need a good start she feels that the team would not make any change.
“Against an Australian line-up where Smriti as an attacking left-hander will be required to come good at the top, I don’t think the Indian team will be looking at that change,” she said. “As players, we have seen ourselves go in and out of form. In the last four days, the Indian team would have had the time to relax, if required, or go and hit the nets. I think four days is good enough time for any cricketer to make that turnaround. At the top, that strong partnership that India can come up with it like they did against England, I think that will be very crucial.”
The winner of Thursday’s game will take on England in the final.