ICC Women’s CWC 2022 | How can Women in Blue secure place in semifinals?
As the tournament inches to its business end, the race for the top-four contenders continues to heat up, with the Women in Blue still battling their hearts out to stay alive in the World Cup.
The mighty Aussies are unbeaten in the competition, cementing their place in the top 4, with five wins out of as many encounters.
Apart from the five-time winners, South Africa have shown nerves of steel. While the reigning champions England, West Indies and the Women in Blue have had a campaign full of uncertainty so far.
Having said that, all the nations mentioned above still have the odds in their favour to finish in the top four.
England might have started this showpiece tournament on an embarrassing note, losing three games on a trot but have redeemed themselves by stifling India and then New Zealand. West Indies, meanwhile, are looking like a potent contender, but Pakistan and the rain have shaken that Caribbean boat.
Now let’s talk about real business. The Asian side also has the same number of victories as England does. But they stand a step ahead of the Poms, all thanks to the mighty ‘Net Run Rate’. And although Women in Maroon may have been riding on a shaking Caribbean boat, they are still cemented in third place.
What are India’s chances of bagging a semis spot?
Mithali Raj’s women have two more matches to play, which - for starters - is a confidence booster. They will clash swords with Bangladesh on March 22 in Hamilton and be at loggerheads with South Africa at Christchurch on the 27th.
One qualifying scenario for them can be if they beat both Bangladesh and South Africa. Bangladesh have witnessed a forgettable competition, but what can one expect from the World Cup debutants? What about the team with ‘nerves of steel’, you ask? I’ll tell you in a while…
The next scenario is if the Windies lose both of their remaining league stage games to South Africa and England, things will get lucent for the Asian giant.
This latter scenario will simply put the Proteas in the knockouts, leaving a window open for India to sneak in.
Contrarily, if South Africa get beaten in all their remaining three matches, which are against Australia, West Indies and India, then also Women in Blue have a big, fat chance to sneak in as Net Run Rate would be standing on their side.
However, the Proteas - as mentioned above - have shown nerves of steel. Just like the Southern Stars, they have been an unbeaten team. Are you feeling anxious? Well, you should be!
Alright, alright! I have something to calm your nerves. The Indians got one better of the Rainbow Nation when they met in the warm-up before the tournament. Meaning tackling South Africa’s ‘nerves of steel’ can be an easy task for India. And beating the Tigresses shouldn’t be as hard as climbing the Dumlong Peak.
Are you feeling confident now? Thanks, but those prayers shouldn’t stop; those fingers shouldn’t be untangled. At least until March 27.
 "Arjun Bhalla")
