India search for firepower as West Indies target hat-trick of World Cup upsets

MATCH CENTRE | STANDINGS

• Match 10: West Indies Women v India Women
• Seddon Park, Hamilton
• Saturday 12 March, 14:00 Local Time

West Indies have been the story of the opening week of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022, pulling off thrilling wins against New Zealand and England to put themselves right into contention to finish in one of the top four spots in the group stage.

And a third win from three games against teams ranked in the top five in the world would see the Caribbean side with one foot in the semi-finals.

“To win those two games against the top teams in this tournament is definitely a motivation for us,” spinner Anisa Mohammed said after the win over England.

“It kind of gives us that confidence knowing that if we can defeat the top teams then going forward once you play our best game, we can go all the way in this tournament."

Saturday’s opponents India are vulnerable too, as they showed in a lacklustre showing against the tournament hosts in their second match, leaking 260 runs and never looking like getting close in the chase.

India, who do have a win on the board thanks to their victory over neighbours Pakistan, will be keen to avoid a second slip-up so early in the group stage, particularly against an opponent ranked three places below them in the ICC ODI Rankings.

And one of the big challenges facing India will be to get their top-order firing, with the rate of scoring an issue in both matches.

“I think the top order obviously has to fire and we'll come back stronger in the West Indies game,” India coach Shiv Sundar Das said after the loss to the White Ferns.

“I think we have the high power to go deeper in the tournament and obviously, when we're looking at the top order, once you get going in the first 10-15 overs I think we can put up a good score on the board.”

THE TEAMS

**West Indies Squad:**Stafanie Taylor (c), Anisa Mohammed (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada William. Travelling Reserves: Kaysia Schultz, Mandy Mangru, Jannillea Glasgow

**India Squad:**Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav

CWC22 DREAM11 FANTASY WATCH

Captaincy Pick – Hayley Matthews

The West Indies all-rounder was in outstanding form in her team’s win over New Zealand on the opening day of the tournament. Her brilliant 119 at the top of the order showed her classy touch, and she chipped in with ten overs and two handy wickets too. And Matthews doubled up against England, with two more wickets from a full-allocation of overs following on from her excellent 45-run salvo.

Must have – Smriti Mandhana

India’s opener is developing into one of the top batters in the game, averaging over 40 in both Test and ODI cricket. The 25-year-old got her tournament off to a typically classy start with a half-century against Pakistan and, although she failed to score heavily in the loss to New Zealand, she has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament at the top of India’s batting line-up.

KEY PLAYERS

**Jhulan Goswami:**The veteran quick might be nudging closer to her 40th birthday, but Goswami still remains one of the most consistent seamers in women's cricket and her record in 50-over cricket supports this. Goswami picked up 10 wickets at the last ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2017 and remains one of the most feared bowlers in the game.

Stafanie Taylor: The West Indies allrounder is a proven match-winner on her day and is always the wicket that opposition teams want most. Taylor is just as adept with her slow off-spin and is definitely one to keep an eye on.

THE VENUE

The picturesque Seddon Park plays host to this match, one of seven tournament fixtures held at the ground.

The grassy stadium in Hamilton will be a familiar setting to fans of international cricket, with the ground having hosted an abundance of international matches since its first ODI - New Zealand's men against India back in 1981.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

All eight teams at the tournament will play each other across seven rounds in a league format.

The top four teams in the standings after the conclusion of the Group Stage will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be held in the final week of March.

LATER FIXTURES

India’s remaining tournament fixtures:

16 March v England
19 March v Australia
22 March v Bangladesh
27 March v South Africa

West Indies’ remaining tournament fixtures:

12 March v India
15 March v Australia
18 March v Bangladesh
21 March v Pakistan
24 March v South Africa