Form vs Spirit: Australia's world champions take on New Zealand's game raisers

If recent form is anything to go by, Australia have been bossing ODIs like, well, the world champions, whereas New Zealand, ranked fourth in ODIs, have a forgettable streak coming into this World Cup. Australia have won their last nine ODI series, last going down in the ODI leg of the 2023 Ashes in England, brushing teams aside both at home and away. They have been touring India almost every year in recent times, their top players have been getting used to the conditions in the WPL for the last three years, and they even played a three-match series in north India as a warm-up for this World Cup, which they won 2-1.

New Zealand have no such records or achievements to show for. Jogging their memory back to the 2022 World Cup will only bring back disappointing recollections as they finished sixth out of eight teams in a home World Cup, they were rolled over for 128 by Australia for a 141-run thrashing in Wellington, and they haven't played an ODI in six months.

But they had shown last year that form and records are not much to go by. New Zealand entered the T20 World Cup with 10 consecutive losses in the format but went on to lift their maiden T20 World Cup with a stellar all-round show in alien conditions in the UAE. And they have a big chunk of players from that campaign to turn things around this time: captain Sophie Devine, former captain Suzie Bates, leader of the pace attack Lea Tahuhu, ace allrounder Amelia Kerr, among others.

These two teams will clash it out at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, which is known for its flat tracks and will host its maiden women's international on Wednesday.

Australia WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWLLL

The last time Alyssa Healy turned out in a World Cup, she finished the 2022 edition by smashing back-to-back centuries in the semis and final to help Australia lift their record seventh title. Things are a lot different this time; it's her maiden ODI World Cup as captain, after Meg Lanning's departure, and she has just returned to action after a long injury layoff of a stress fracture in the foot. She got in the groove of international cricket with modest scores of 1, 30 and 9 in the recent bilaterals in India, but would want to use the big stage to get some runs going on a flat pitch. She averages 31.40 against New Zealand with a strike rate of 89.97 against New Zealand much lower than her overall ODI strike rate of 97.90, and New Zealand would want to keeps those numbers down on Wednesday too.

This is going to be Sophie Devine's farewell ODI series, only available for T20Is after this. Having led her side to T20 World Cup glory less than 12 months ago, she wants to end her ODI career with a double and her all-round skills could play a major role, starting Wednesday. She comes into the tournament after a rich run of form in the Hundred and bucket loads of experience of Indian conditions, having first toured the country back in 2007 when she was just 17.

Australia's full squad trained on Tuesday evening under the lights after a few injury concerns to Phoebe Litchfield (low-grade quad strain), Annabel Sutherland (hip soreness) and Darcie Brown (back spasms) during the recent bilateral games against India, and Ellyse Perry was down with an illness during the warm-ups. Vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, however, confirmed on Tuesday that everyone in the squad will be available for selection. What mix of spinners and pace bowlers they finalise is the only question that remains, as Sophie Molineux returned to action after a knee surgery, in the warm-up against England, and Australia could think about leaving out one of the legspinners - Alana King or Georgia Wareham - to make place for her.

Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King/Georgia Wareham, 11 Megan Schutt

New Zealand have one injury concern and Devine intentionally kept her name under wraps at the press conference on Tuesday. Their line-up is otherwise a great blend of youth and experience and if that mysterious player with a niggle is also fit on Wednesday, they won't have too many headaches for the final XI. Devine also didn't rule out uncapped 22-year-old left-arm spinner Flora Devonshire making her ODI in their opener.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Eden Carsen, 9 Jess Kerr, 10 Flora Devonshire, 11 Lea Tahuhu

The curator at Indore has decided to roll out a flat track for its maiden women's international, testified by both Devine and McGrath after they saw the pitch. They had no hesitations to call it "an incredibly flat" pitch which has the makings of a "run fest," as is often the case there in men's white-ball matches. Indore has been muggy in the lead up to this game, with plenty of clouds spread across and the sun appearing in parts. Temperatures are unlikely to cross 30 degrees Celsius but it could feel a lot worse with the humidity when the match starts, for the fielding team.

"Those stats are there and we're aware of them, but at World Cups, it doesn't matter. I think records and previous results go out the window for us."
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine doesn't care about the stats that make Australia seem like the favourites

"I joke that I'm basically a spinner at times when I can get slower and just bowl some pace off. So I feel as though I can adapt to any wicket and use some of my variations to suit different wickets."
Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath talks about her adaptability as a bowler and allrounder for Indian surfaces