Auckland, March 18: Australia head coach Matthew Mott on Friday said “any game against India is a big one” as the two sides gear up for the much-awaited contest at the ongoing Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. Australia and India will meet for a round-robin match at the Eden Park here on March 19. The last time the two sides met in a 50-over World Cup game, India defeated Australia by 36 runs in the semifinal in 2017.
“Any game against India is a big one. We’re here at the home of rugby in New Zealand. It’s going to be very special. We just came off the field. There is a great aura about this ground. We had an excellent net session. Some players are in form, so look forward to take them on,” said Mott on the eve of the match. “It’s an opportunity to put forward a case for semifinals, that’s what we have come here to do. Everyone seems to be beating everyone at the moment. So, to get out another win would be huge advantage and then we can dictate it on our own terms.
“There’s a lot to play for. Literally the last thing on our mind at the moment is what happened five years ago (2017 semifinal). We are just really determined to make every match count. India is the only focus for us, we have done a lot of research on them. We match up well against them, they are a good side but it will be a hell of a game tomorrow.” New Zealand’s largest sports stadium Eden Park, which is primarily used for rugby and association football matches, will be hosting its first match of the 2022 tournament.
Talking about the venue, Mott said, “It’s not just the short boundaries, it’s a bit of an odd shape. Obviously it’s primarily a football or rugby ground. We have a few things up on our sleeves, hopefully we’ll execute them tomorrow. “It’s a fast bouncy wicket, it is one of the quickest of wickets to carry nicely through which excites us. It is not a big square so it’s a bit different from an actual wicket block, pace off the pitch. We found it a little bit difficult out there just to get a feel for the ground. So, that’s something we’ll have to adapt to really quickly tomorrow.
“From bowling perspective, we will certainly try to encourage everyone to be aggressive at the start. We want to take early wickets, which we have done pretty well throughout the tournament. But if they do get on top they we certainly have Plan B, whether it is wide lines or change of pace. “Every bowler in our squad is very different. So when Meg (Lanning) asks them to bowl, making sure they are really clear on what their job is at that time. And that’s very important for our structure. With a number of bowling options, it does give Meg an opportunity to be flexible. I think having come from Wellington where the conditions have been quite disruptive at times, I think our bowling group is in a pretty good spot to adapt to these conditions as well.”
While Australia have eight points after winning all four games so far, India have four points after two wins and two loses. The women in blue’s recent four-wicket defeat came at the hands of the defending champions England. When asked about India’s recent outing against England, Australia coach said, “Can’t really rate into them because they are very different. We certainly had a good run against England recently but England versus India is different to Australia versus India. Read a little bit into it but mainly we will stick to our strengths as a bowling group”. The match starts at 6:30 AM IST.
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