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Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 (ANI): Ahead of her side’s ICC Women’s World Cup clash against India, Australian head coach Shelley Nitschke termed the match as ‘anyone’s game’, and added that the skipper Alyssa Healy, who faced an injury which kept her out of the final two league stage matches, will be given as much time she needs to take a call on her participation.

It will be a repeat of the 2017 semifinal as India takes on defending champions Australia in the semifinal of the ICC Women’s World Cup at Navi Mumbai in DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. Ahead of the match, Aussie captain Healy is a massive talking point, having missed the final two league stage clashes against England and South Africa due to injury. She is their top run-getter despite missing two matches, with 294 runs in four matches, including two centuries and an instant classic 142 against India, being her best score.

Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Shelley said, ‘Look, I think, semi-finals are anyone’s game. So, I do not believe so sort of we go in as the underdogs or the favourites. I think it is a pretty level playing field. So, it promises to be an exciting match and toughly fought contest. And I think the team that holds our nerve and is able to overcome sort of that pressure of a semi-final should be successful. And as for the skipper, she has trained well yesterday. We will still give her as much time as she needs to make a call on that sort of thing before the game tomorrow.’

Since the 2017 Women’s WC, Australia has been a formidable force, having won 78 out of 87 ODIs played. To this, the head coach said that while the team can take confidence out of it, it does not count for much in a semifinal.

When India last played Australia in the semifinal of a World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur, now the skipper, played an explosive knock of 171, and the Aussies again expect a tough contest.

‘I know that India are an extreme batting order. They throw everything at us, so we certainly need to make sure that we are ready for them. And they bat with a lot of depth now too. So, we are certainly under no illusions about the depth and skill of our batting order, and the planning that goes into it is to ensure we are getting it right as well. Absolutely, I think every time we have played them more recently, that they have come out and they’ve gone pretty hard, and we expect nothing short of that tomorrow night,’ she added.

On Pratika Rawal missing out due to injury and Shafali Verma being brought as her replacement, Shelley said that Team India has got a lot of depth in their batting, despite missing a batter who has been the second-highest run-getter this tournament, with 308 runs in six innings, including a century and a fifty each.

‘I would not say it is a relief (Pratika’s absence) because we certainly know that whoever they put out there, they have got a lot of depth with their batting, so we are certainly going to have to be ready and be really well prepared for whatever opening combination that they put out there tomorrow,’ she added.

Squads: India Women Squad: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Uma Chetry(w), Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh, Kranti Gaud Australia Women’s Squad: Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney(w), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath(c), Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt, Heather Graham, Darcie Brown, Alyssa Healy, Sophie Molineux. (ANI)