Nerves, habitual winners Australia stand between India and elusive ICC trophy

Indian women's team will have to overcome big match pressure as it aims to exorcise ghosts of past in T20 World Cup final against habitual winners Australia in front of a record crowd at Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Sunday. India go into final unbeaten after topping group st where y h beaten four-time champions Australia in tournament opener. After semifinal against England was washed out, Harmanpreet Kaur-led squ vanced to ir maiden summit clash, having finished first in Group A.

Shafali Verma's consistency

refreshing firepower of 16-year-old Shafali Verma at top and consistency of India's spin-heavy bowling attack has contributed massively to team's success so far in competition. However, much more is needed from star batters Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet if India are to win ir maiden ICC trophy.  brittle middle-order too needs to deliver. And besides doing right things on field, India will also have to win battle of nerves in all-important game. Australia, who h beaten India in preceding tri-series final, find mselves in familiar territory having me ir sixth successive final in seven editions.

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Australia's art of winning high-pressure games 

y kw how to win big moments in high-pressure games, while India have been found wanting on that front. visitors h capitulated to England in 2017 ODI World Cup final and 2018 World T20 semifinal.It may be a t unfair on teenr but team will expect Shafali to provide ar flying start and hope this time experienced Mandhana too fires. re can't be a bigger st for Harmanpreet to be back amongst runs and le team from front.If it was t for Shafali, India would have struggled to post competitive totals with middle and lower-order doing precious little. team did t cross 150-run mark in group st but still mand to get over line, thanks to a disciplined bowling effort.

Leggie Poonam Yav has me a sensational comeback from a finger injury and is tournament's leing wicket-taker with nine wickets alongside Australia pacer Megan Schutt. Pacer Shikhar Pandey too has been impressive, while left-arm spin duo of Rha Yav and Rajeshwari Gayakw has kept things tight. It will be interesting to see how Australians play Poonam on Sunday as leggie was all over m in tournament opener.

More than 75,000 tickets have alrey been sold for final and figure could go as high as 90,000, unprecedented in women's cricket. Australia, led by Meg Lanning, are backing mselves to win in front of home fans though a sizable number of Indian fans too is expected at iconic MCG.

Le men's team pacer Mitchell Starc will also be in attendance, rooting for home team and his wife Alyssa Healy after getting clearance to leave South Africa in middle of tour. Australia's campaign has been hit by injuries to pacer Tayla Vlaeminck at start and star all-rounder Elysse Perry was ruled out of remainder of tournament before semifinal against South Africa. Despite twin setbacks, Australia have stormed into yet ar title clash.

"We're t coming just to put on a good show. We're coming here to win and that's attitude we're going in with. It's been a long time coming and build-up to game is something I've t experienced before. It will be biggest moment of my career," said Lanning.

Squs:

India Women: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yav, Rajeshwari Gayakw, Veda Krishnamurthy, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pooja Vastrakar, Taniya Bhatia, Rha Yav, Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh.

Rachael Haynes, Megan Schutt, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Erin Burns, Molly Stra, Annabel Surland. 

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(Im Courtesy: AP)