Australia will seek to defend its ICC Women's T20 World Cup title when it takes on first-time finalist India in the summit clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, in what will be a replay of the opening game of the tournament.
India vs Australia | Final | Scorecard
Here's everything you need to know about this big-ticket Australia vs India clash:
About the finalists
India is playing its first Women’s T20 WC final, while Australia is playing in its sixth. The host nation has four titles to its name, the most successful team in the history of the tournament. India’s previous best performance in this tournament has been a semifinal finish.
Head to head
The overall head-to-head record favours Australia, with 13 wins in 19 games. However, India has won its last two World Cup games vs the host, beating it most recently in the opener of this edition of the tournament. Australia has been in the final six times and has a lot more crunch match experience than India.
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What’s at stake
A win will give India its first T20 World Cup title, making it the fourth nation after England, Australia, and West Indies to life the trophy. A win for Australia, which is hosting the event for the first time will give the team its fifth World title.
Incidentally, the Australian men’s team has not won the T20 World Cup yet, with just one final appearance in six editions. Cricket Australia is also trying to draw a record audience to the MCG in a bid to popularise the sport and give women’s sport the spotlight it has come to deserve, especially since the final coincides with Women’s Day. The hashtag #FillTheMCG seeks to do just that. The current attendance record is 90,185, which was set at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in the USA.
What happens if there is a rain delay?
Unlike the semifinal, the final of the World Cup has provisions for a reserve day should rain not permit play at all. According to this, if the match does not finish on March 8, teams will come back the next day to play it out.
What happens if the scores are tied?
Memories of the now-defunct boundary countback rule are still fresh but this tournament has new provisions should the scores end up tied.
If a match is tied, a Super Over will be played. If this also ends in a tie, Super Overs will be played until there is a winner. Standard rules apply.
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Remember, if a batter is dismissed in one Super Over, she is not permitted to return in the subsequent Super Over and bowlers cannot bowl two Super Overs in a row either. If extraordinary circumstances do not allow the completion of the Super Over after a tie in the final, joint winners will be declared.
How much does the winner get in prize money?
The prize money has received a 5x increase from 2018 to this year’s edition. The winner will now receive $1 million while the runner-up will take $500,000.
In an ICC meeting in October 2019, it was decided that the prize pot would see a 320 per cent increase. This means all 10 participating teams will earn more, in an effort to encourage the growth of the game in countries irrespective of ranking or result.
Soon after, Cricket Australia also announced that it would match the prize money to ensure parity with the prize money that male players get should the national side win the World Cup.
When is the game?
India and Australia will clash for the title in Melbourne on March 8, which is also observed as International Women’s Day. The game will begin at 12.30 pm IST.
Where can one watch the game?
The Women’s T20 World Cup final between India and Australia will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and Doordarshan. It can also be live-streamed on Hotstar and JioTV.
Are there any pre-match shows planned?
Yes, Australia had arrangements to have a Perry on and off the field to draw crowds for the tournament. Katy Perry will perform during the World Cup final, starting things off with a two-song bit with a longer concert to continue after the final. The
Roar singer had taken the 2015 Super Bowl by storm with her performance and so this is right up her alley.
Squads:
Australia Women: Meg Lanning (C), Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Delissa Kimmince, Ellyse Perry (ruled out), Erin Burns, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.
India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Veda Krishnamurthy, Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Taniya Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
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