Fruitful in Kiwiland?

India players celebrate a SA wicket during their World Cup warm-up match recently. Pic/Getty Images

Mithali Raj will be eager to get her hands on a maiden title in what would be her last hurrah for India at the world stage, Heather Knight will hope to defend it while Meg Lanning seems primed to lead Australia to a Magnificent Seventh when the ICC Women's World Cup gets underway here on Friday.

The tournament, which was postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be played across six venues with the ICC deciding that teams will stay in a managed environment instead of stringent bio-bubbles. The marquee event will be played in the league format, where all eight teams will face each other once with the Top 4 sides qualifying for the semi-finals.

India, who were runners-up in the last edition and in 2005, open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan, while hosts New Zealand will take on West Indies in the tournament opener. Australia, the most successful side with six titles, will meet defending champions England, who have been crowned champions four times.

Building legacy

The month-long event will see young stars and veterans come together. While the likes of Mithali, Jhulan Goswami, Suzie Bates and Megan Schutt will look to add to their already glittering legacies, teenagers including Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Fran Jones and Darcie Brown will be eager to make one.

Hurt by the shock semi-final loss to India in 2017, six-time champions Australia have left no stone unturned in their quest for an unprecedented seventh title. Such has been Australia's dominance in the past four years in the 50-over format that the Southern stars have lost just one ODI in their last 30 games. Labelled favourites, Australia head to the World Cup on the back of a dominating 3-0 ODI series victory against arch-rivals England in the Ashes. Ellyse Perry, who has dominated with bat and ball at World Cups since 2009, has recaptured her best form with a commanding all-round display recently.

In Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Perry and Beth Mooney, Australia have plenty of experience at the top while the likes of Ashleigh Gardner and Jess Jonassen will be tasked to play the big shot towards the end, making for a strong batting unit. Australia are downplaying their status as red-hot favourites, with coach Matthew Mott saying they cannot expect to cruise to a seventh title.

Mott said any complacency among the Aussies was dispelled by a nine-wicket defeat in a warm-up match against New Zealand this week, describing it as the perfect tonic for his players. "It was a little kick in the backside at the right time to just remind us that any team on their day have got players that can hurt you," he said.

Covid-19 hits Aus camp

Australia also suffered a blow on the eve of the tournament on Thursday when star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner tested positive for Covid-19, ruling her out of the team's first two matches.

1,139
No. of runs India captain Mithali Raj has scored in WC cricket for a Top 5 spot

Four
No. of wickets veteran India pacer Jhulan Goswami (36) requires to become the highest wicket-taker in World Cups

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