Unbeaten australia

ODI World Cup: A coveted spot in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup is on the line as India take on defending champions Australia in the second semifinal at DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. The winner will face either England or South Africa, who clash in the first semifinal on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for Sunday (November 2).

Both teams enter the high-stakes contest with major injury updates dominating the build-up. For India, the big setback came with the confirmation that opener Pratika Rawal will miss the remainder of the tournament after suffering an ankle injury while fielding against Bangladesh.

In her place, Shafali Verma has been drafted in as a replacement — a surprise return for the aggressive right-hander, who had not featured in the ODI setup for over a year and was not even among the original stand-by players.