Women’s ODI World Cup | Incredible Australia remains the team to beat

A star-studded Australian squad comes into this World Cup with a larger-than-life reputation and a competitive pool with piranhas snapping at its heels. While the Aussies are a few tiers above the rest of the nations in success and depth, that gap is fast narrowing. The side’s incredible resources in both departments and a sparkling record as a fielding unit mean it enters the tournament as a firm favourite.

It’s a familiar looking side, with 10 players carrying over from its 2022 World Cup-winning bunch – all proven match winners who can single-handedly change games. The likes of Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney and the young Annabel Sutherland provide solidity to this batting spine, but the upside is in the young players slotted in between. Selectors will sweat over who to roll out between Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll – both of whom have excelled against high-quality opponents like England and India. Ellyse Perry’s ability to switch gears, especially in the middle overs, also bolsters this side.

Grace Harris found herself ruled out due to a calf strain days before the opener, but in Heather Graham, the side has a reliable replacement.

The cherry on top is the availability of at least eight competitive bowling options to counter the most aggressive of batting attacks, with more match-winners like Sophie Molineux waiting in the wings to be unleashed at the right time.

Australia was involved in a record-breaking 781-run aggregate ODI against India. While it underlined the side’s strengths, it also exposed a certain slowness in adapting to situations when the going gets tough. The 2024 T20 World Cup showed how a sprightly opposition can poke holes in Australia’s gold-coated canopy. The side will hope to guard against complacency as it bids for an incredible eighth ODI title.

The squad: Alyssa Healy (Capt.), Tahlia McGrath (Vice-capt.), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.

Australia’s fixtures: Oct. 1: New Zealand (Indore); Oct. 4: Sri Lanka (Colombo); Oct. 8: Pakistan (Colombo); Oct. 12: India (Visakhapatnam); Oct. 16: Bangladesh (Visakhapatnam); Oct. 22: England (Indore); Oct. 25: South Africa (Indore).