PRE MATCH ANALYSIS
Follow UsA month before Australia and England embarked on their journey in the land of the Kiwis, they locked horns Down Under in one of the most riveting rivalries in world cricket, The Ashes.
While the multi-format series was touted to be a curtain-raiser for the two teams ahead of this extravaganza, it turned out to be a fairly one-sided affair as the mighty Australian outfit brushed aside their counterparts to ensure the urn remains on the Aussie soil.
Despite a disappointing end to the series, Tammy Beaumont shared insights on the atmosphere within the group in a virtual press conference before the commencement of the World Cup.
"I feel like a lot of people have sort of written us off in a way. I remember we had a lot of people trying to call us favourites last time, and you know, we're still the holders of the World Cup, so I think you write us off at your peril, really,"
Over the years, England have known to produce dominant performances in the women's game, and this mega event was not different as they entered the tournament as the defending champions and one of the favourites despite a shaky build-up to the competition.
Battle of nerves
After the stutter against their arch-rivals in the Ashes, England underwent gruelling hours of sessions away from the glaring eyes of the media to turn their fortunes around and aim to defend their title.
While they set foot at Seddon Park in Hamilton for their inaugural match against Australia, the scars of the Ashes came hustling back as England agonisingly down by 12 runs post a cliffhanger.
Things went downhill for England as they lost to West Indies for the first time in the history of the World Cup and were at the receiving end of Marizanne Kapp's all-round display to start their campaign with three losses on the trot.
With tears rolling down and their back against the wall, England staged a remarkable comeback in the World Cup to win their remaining five matches and qualify for the final of the quadrennial event.
While it has been a fairytale comeback for the reigning champions, they will set foot at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday, 3rd April, knowing that they will face their most formidable competitors in the summit clash of the World Cup.
On the other hand, gunning for their seventh world title in this format of the game, Australia have been the most dominant side in the tournament and recorded comprehensive wins in the league games as well as the semi-finals against the Windies.
While most people only witness their ruthless performances in the lead-up to this tournament and the eight matches played thus far by them, it is, however, their loss to India in the semi-finals in the last edition that turned things around for the Australian side.
In a pre-match conversation with ESPN Cricinfo ahead of their league game against India, Tahlia McGrath shared insights on the loss and the changes they incorporated in this marquee event.
"It reshaped our values and how we want to play our brand of cricket."
Well, the shining star of Australian cricket isn't wrong, as Australia have lost only two matches out of the 41 games and have a win percentage of 95.1, by far the best among all eight teams in the competition.
Opening woes for England
With the batting unit comprising of Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning shouldering the bulk of the responsibility of the side, Australia have posted a mammoth first inning total or chased down the target without any hiccups.
However, the same cannot be said about their counterparts, as England have struggled with the bat all through the competition. One of the glaring issues for the side has been the lack of partnerships from the opening combination, as they have failed to stitch a single 50-run stand at the top of the order.
After a string of low scores from Lauren Winfield-Hill, England opted to use the services of Danni Wyatt along with Beaumont. While the duo played crucial innings individually, they failed to lay a foundation for the side by forging a solid opening combination.
With the pressure of the finale and a chance to script history, England would hope for their batting unit to finally fire in unison and overhaul the Aussie juggernaut.
Australia sweat over Ellyse Perry's fitness
Despite having a rather flawless tournament, Australia will enter the finals battling nerves after an injury to their star all-rounder, Ellyse Perry. The 31-year old missed was ruled out of their last league match against Bangladesh and the semi-finals against West Indies due to back spasms.
While she has trained with the team in the lead-up to this humongous clash, the all-rounder might be fit to feature in the playing XI as a specialist batter.
A call on her availability in the summit clash will be taken closer to the game; however, Meg Lanning believes she is on track to play as a batter in a pre-match conference.
"Ellyse got through a pretty hard and high-intensity session yesterday, and she's trained again today and is feeling pretty good," the skipper revealed.
With a wealth of experience at the international level, Perry will be vital to Australia's batting and will look to play a crucial role in their bid for the seventh world title.
However, if the veteran all-rounder fails to overcome the dreaded fitness test, Annabel Sutherland will keep her place in the playing XI.
Can England give Katherine Brunt a fitting farewell?
While all eyes will be on Ellyse Perry, given her impact on Australian sport and world cricket, there will be another player in the English camp itching to end her illustrious World Cup career on a high.
At 36, it is fair to say Katherine Brunt is erring on the wrong side of 30 and, in all likelihood, feature in her last ODI World Cup game. The right-arm pacer is one of the legends of England cricket and the leading wicket-taker for the side ever since she made her in 2004.
In a career spanning almost two decades, Brunt has shattered numerous records and has produced match-winning performances for England in their success in the international arena.
And, as the reigning champions step onto the Hagley Oval, they would be hoping to give one of the greatest players to have donned the national jersey, a fitting farewell.
Probable XI:
Australia: Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (Captain), Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Alana King, Amanda Wellington, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Annabel Sutherland/Ellyse Perry
England: Tammy Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, Heather Knight (Captain), Natalie Sciver, Amy Jones (wk), Sophia Dunkley, Charlie Dean, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Anya Shrubsole
Date: 3rd April, 6.30 AM IST
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
