Women's T20 World Cup: India unfazed by semi-final against ‘unstoppable train’ Australia

A juggernaut, Galacticos, an "unstoppable train" - cricket is moving retired of superlatives to picture the interaction of Australia's women.

Meg Lanning's broadside person won 5 of the past six T20 World Cups, won the Commonwealth Games astatine the archetypal clip of asking and besides clasp the 50-over satellite title.

Unsurprisingly, they person present reached different semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup, taking connected India astatine Newlands successful Cape Town connected Thursday.

"They are a fantastic broadside and they cognize however to win," said erstwhile England spinner Alex Hartley connected BBC Test Match Special.

"If they ever get successful to pugnacious positions, they cognize precisely what to bash to get retired of them. They are a precise well-drilled unit."

Australia are arguably 1 of the world's astir palmy sporting teams and successful 2022, they were lone beaten erstwhile crossed each formats.

In a twelvemonth wherever they thrashed England successful the Ashes and the World Cup final, they suffered a super-over decision by India.

Since reaching the 50-over World Cup last successful 2017, wherever they mislaid to England, India person steadily improved and person arguably eclipsed England arsenic the squad astir apt to spoil Australia's party.

"We tin bushed Australia, it's not that we can't bushed them, due to the fact that we did it successful the past bid successful India and we did it earlier arsenic well," said wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh. "We cognize they are a beardown squad but we cognize we tin bushed them."

It says a batch astir Australia's dominance that a azygous triumph against them successful a twelvemonth makes India apt contenders, but they person besides travel adjacent connected galore occasions.

India bushed Australia successful the opening crippled of the T20 World Cup successful 2020 earlier losing to them successful the final, and came adjacent to winning the Commonwealth Games wherever determination was lone a nine-run borderline betwixt the teams.

"We are improving our mindset, due to the fact that the crippled is anyone's," said Ghosh. "The 1 who is mentally beardown successful the crippled volition win."

If Harmanpreet Kaur's young broadside tin larn to borderline the crunch moments successful choky games, they could beryllium a important menace to Australia's dominance.

"India tin surely bushed them," said England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss connected BBC Test Match Special.

"They person done truthful good against Australia successful caller times. They had moments wherever they truly had Australia successful occupation successful the Commonwealth Games last but they conscionable weren't capable to get a beardown capable grip of the game.

"They volition cognize they are not acold away, it is conscionable the cardinal moments they request to triumph and they tin decidedly get implicit the line."

India person a young side, boosted by 19-year-olds Shafali Verma and Ghosh, portion 22-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues and 26-year-old Smriti Mandhana clasp the batting line-up together.

They besides boast 1 of the tournament's in-form bowlers successful Renuka Singh Thakur, whose in-swing tore done England's apical bid with a stunning 5-15, and besides had Australia successful tatters with 4-18 during the Commonwealth Games.

But Australia's aureate procreation has world-class stars from 1-11 - amplified by destructive all-rounder Tahlia McGrath batting astatine fig 7 successful their opening crippled against New Zealand.

"They are an unstoppable train," said BBC Test Match Special commentator Henry Moeran.

"They are truthful ascendant successful truthful galore areas. It's a relentless watercourse of immoderate of the champion players successful the world."

Their magnificence is down to the concern successful the nonrecreational home set-up they implemented years earlier England and the occurrence of the Women's Big Bash League, their T20 franchise competition.

"What's awesome is the mode they instrumentality the play distant from games, they ever conscionable look successful implicit control," added Hartley.

"They are calm, they person the state of being capable to spell retired and explicit themselves knowing they person a batter coming successful adjacent who is arsenic arsenic bully and if not better. It is scary however bully they are."

The conditions astatine the grounds truthful acold whitethorn beryllium thing India could payment from, with dilatory pitches and spinners dominating - but marque nary mistake, Australia volition beryllium much than prepared.

"They're an unthinkable side. They've got immoderate match-winners and world-class players and it's going to beryllium a cracking game, and we can't wait," said Australia skipper Meg Lanning.

"They've shown that they're not relying connected 1 oregon 2 players, they've got immoderate large extent arsenic well. So, for america arsenic a team, we've had to hole for each their players.

"We cognize they're strong, and that benignant of conscionable makes the situation adjacent greater and thing we look guardant to."

Neither squad has rather been astatine their champion yet, with India squandering a promising presumption against England, and portion Australia are unbeaten, their apical bid has been inconsistent and their chases of debased totals person not been successful their accustomed free-flowing style.

But if some tin find their signifier astatine the close time, this semi-final could beryllium to beryllium 1 for the ages.

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