WWC 2017: Derby day beckons as India face Australia in semis

A bout three hours away from London, the Indian women's cricket team has found a home away from home. Mithali Raj and her teammates could not have asked for a better 'home' ground than the county ground in Derby, a city with a dense Indian population. Apart from warmth and support in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup, India have also found success at this venue.They won all their four outings here.
However, on Thursday, as they step out to take on Australia in the second semifinal, they will need more than luck and support. The odds are heavily stacked against India - Australia have won 34 of the 42 ODI matches against India. In their previous meeting last week, Australia, who have won six of the 10 World Cups staged thus far, dominated as they romped to an eight-wicket win. They will seek a repeat of the show. The winners will take on hosts England, who beat South Africa by two wickets in the first semifinal on Tuesday, in the final on Sunday at Lord's.

India will need more than just a game plan to counter Australia. For starters, they must believe that they can win. Once the mind games are sorted, the Indian women will have to iron out the wrinkles in their game. At the top of the list is the opening woe. Barring their inaugural match -a win against England - in which the opening pair of Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana stitched together 144, the pair hasn't delivered. Partnerships for the first wicket in subsequent matches read: 0, 7, 17, 4, 9 and 10.
Smriti's form, which saw a sharp decline after the first two matches, is worrisome too. The left-hander -known for her attacking approach -will prove a dangerous customer if she gets going. For that, she will have to tide over the lull and put behind the horror shows of the last five matches in which her scores read: 2, 8, 4, 3 and 13.
While skipper Mithali has been in sublime form with 356 runs from seven outings, including a century and three half-centuries, the middleorder will have to step up to the occasion, especially the supremely talented Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy. Although both fared well in the last match against New Zealand, consistency hasn't been their USP. Against an Australian bowling attack mainly comprising Kristen Beams, Jessica Jonassen, Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt, the Indians will need to put good numbers on board if they bat first.
Spinners across teams have outshined pacers in the tournament. It's no different in India's case. India's tweakers have played their part nicely, accounting for 36 off the 49 wickets that the team has taken through the tournament. Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma have claimed nine wickets each, while Poonam Yadav has had six. Rajeshwari Gayakwad, playing her first match of the tournament, returned 5-15 in the last game. While the spinners have done a commendable job, warhorse Jhulan Goswami has had a quiet campaign (5 wickets from seven matches). Thursday could well be the day for the accomplished pacer.