Despite being the home team, cheered on by what promises to be a packed house at their fortress, Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, India are walking into the semi-final of the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup as the underdogs.
And, there is only reason for them to be termed so — their opponents, Australia. Of the 12 occasions where this competition has been held, Australia have won the crown on seven occasions. And there has been, but only three instances of Australia not qualifying for the final.
India will know their task is formidable. Yet, World Cups — whether played by men or women — have long been stages where cricket’s most enduring narratives are rewritten, as was the case during the 1996 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Having suffered a defeat at the hands of Kenya, West Indies would have considered themselves fortunate to qualify for the quarter-finals. There, they were to face a high-flying South Africa, who had won all of their five matches until that stage, with the likes of Hansie Cronje, Gary Kirsten and Shaun Pollock enjoying the form of their lives.
On the day, though, Karachi saw a spirited West Indies team shaking off the ghosts of the Kenya defeat to beat South Africa by 19 runs. Having lost to Australia previously in this competition, could India do the same?
The Quint asked this question to Ian Bishop, who is working as a commentator for JioStar, during a media day interaction. He stated:
I was part of that team that beat South Africa. I’ll be 100% honest with you — I don’t recall us going into that match thinking South Africa were the favourites. I just remember us approaching it like any other game, believing we could win, no matter what the outside world was saying. There wasn’t the proliferation of social media back then, so we were somewhat isolated from that noise. I didn’t even know South Africa were considered overwhelming favourites.Ian Bishop
Not knowing you are the underdog — Bishop believes — is an essential element to become a champion.
That’s a little insight into the mindset of sportspeople — if you desire to be a champion team, you have to go into every contest believing you’ve prepared well, that you’re skillful enough, and that this is your time to do what you’re capable of. Now, of course, it’s a different time. Everywhere you look — on TV, on your phone — someone’s saying Australia are a juggernaut, like Ian Bishop just said ten minutes ago. But for Amol Muzumdar’s team, for Harmanpreet Kaur’s team, this is an opportunity to create their own history. Yes, they’re up against the defending champions, a great team, but they’re here to try to bring them down. Whether that happens or not, no one can predict that a day out from the game. But the mindset always has to be: they’re on top, they’ve been dominant — but now it’s our turn to bring them down.Ian Bishop
Urging India to inculcate belief, he concludes:
If you can inculcate that belief within the unit, whether you’re chasing and Smriti gets a hundred, Harmanpreet gets a hundred, or if you’re batting first and someone produces a life-changing innings or a magnificent bowling spell — Renuka, Sneh Rana, or anyone else — you can write your own history. That’s the mindset. And even if it doesn’t play out as we hope, from the outside that’s fine — as long as the team comes out better for the experience.Ian Bishop
Shafali Verma Can't Afford To Think About Pressure: Ian Bishop
With Pratika Rawal being ruled out of the game with an ankle sprain, which she suffered in the process of trying to save a boundary against Bangladesh on 26 October, Shafali Verma is expected to open the innings alongside Smriti Mandhana, having recently been called up to the team.
On how the swashbuckling opener should approach the game, Bishop said:
It comes down to hoping that she’s been working away at her game. Obviously, her recent international form hasn’t been great, but again, this is a one-off game. Her mindset now has to be something like this: I’ve been given an opportunity that I probably didn’t expect — in a World Cup semi-final, which, apart from the final, is the biggest stage and carries the highest pressure. She can’t afford to think about the pressure, though. She has to go in with the mindset of, I’ve got this chance to make a difference — for my team and perhaps for my country. She should stay as relaxed as possible but go out there determined to make the best use of this opportunity and fill that void adequately. That’s the mindset required, and of course, the execution has to come from the work she’s put in during the practice sessions leading into this game.Ian Bishop
(Catch Australia vs India in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025, tomorrow, at 3:00 PM, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network)