IN-W vs AU-W Dream11 Team Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tip & Playing 11 Updates for Today's Women's T20 World Cup Final - Mar 8th, 2020

After 22 high-octane matches, India and Australia will square off in the summit clash of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 at the iconic MCG on Women's Day. Both teams met in the very first match of the tournament with India picking up a 17-run win courtesy of a fine bowling performance led by Poonam Yadav and Shikha Pandey.

Since then, both teams have gone to win three games each en route to the final. While Australia had to stave off a resilient South African side in the semis, India qualified by virtue of topping Group A with their semifinal match against England washed out due to incessant rains. With all to play for and the title on the line, here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for IN-W vs AU-W.

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IN-W vs AU-W Teams

India Women:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Rajeshwari Gaekwad, Richa Ghosh.

Also see – IPL 2020 Players

Australia Women:

Meg Lanning (C), Rachael Haynes, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham

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Playing 11 Updates

India Women:

India shouldn't be making any changes to the playing XI after a clinical performance against Sri lanka. Although Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur haven't excelled in this tournament, young Shafali Verma has led the way with her explosive batting at the top of the order. The likes of Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues have also come up with handy knocks with Veda Krishnamurthy donning the finisher's role.

Their bowling unit is critical to the side's fortunes with Poonam Yadav and Shikha Pandey accounting for 16 wickets in four outings. With Radha Yadav also finding form in the previous game, India should fancy their chances of clinching their first-ever Women's World T20 title.

Possible XI: Shafali, Mandhana, Jemimah, Kaur (C), Veda, Deepti, Taniya(WK), Radha, Poonam, Shikha and Rajeshwari.

Australia Women:

With two morale-boosting wins over New Zealand and South Africa, Australia seem to have found its best combination. Although they will miss Ellyse Perry's skillset, the Aussies have a formidable batting unit, led by Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney. While Ashleigh Gardner floats around in the batting unit, the likes of Lanning and Haynes provide stability in the middle order. Their bowlers have also found their groove with Megan Schutt leading the attack. Jess Jonassen and Georgia Wareham will handle the spin duties with a lot depending on the duo on Sunday.

Possible XI: Healy (WK), Mooney, Lanning (C), Gardner, Haynes, Molineux, Jonassen, Carey, Wareham, Schutt and Kimmince.

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Match Details

India Women vs Australia Women, Final

8th March 2020, 12:30 PM IST

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

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Pitch Report

An even contest between bat and ball await fans at the MCG with ample help on offer the bowlers. While there will be some spin for the spinners, the dimensions of the ground could also be a decisive factor. The powerplay overs will be critical for both sides with the pitch likely to get slower as the game progresses. Batting first would be the ideal choice in such a high-pressure game.

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IN-W vs AU-W Dream11 Tips

Wicket-keeper: Alyssa Healy is the ideal choice for the wicket-keeper spot ahead of Taniya Bhatia. Healy scored a fifty against India in their previous encounter and is fourth on the list for most runs in the tournament with 161 to her name. With Bhatia batting down the order for India, she might not make a significant impact with the bat.

Batters: Meg Lanning starred in Australia's semifinal win with a gritty knock of 49. Given her record in knockout games, Lanning is a must-have in the side from the Aussie roster. Shafali Verma has also impressed for India with 161 runs in four innings. She is an excellent option alongside Smriti Mandhana, who is due for a big one today. While Jemimah Rodrigues is a decent alternative, one could include Ashleigh Gardner with the Aussie scoring 34 in her last outing against India.

Allrounders: Deepti Sharma was the star with the bat in India's league stage win against the hosts. Capable of winning matches single-handedly, Deepti Sharma is a must-have player for this game. Jess Jonassen is another such player who can make a huge impact with bat and ball. The allrounder even picked a fifer against India before the Women's T20 World Cup, which should hold her in good stead.

Harmanpreet Kaur's form has deserted her in this tournament. However, she has a history of coming good in knockout games with her blistering hundred against the Aussies in the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup strengthening her case for the fantasy team.

Bowlers: Poonam Yadav and Megan Schutt are among the top wicket-takers in the tournament with nine and eight wickets respectively. While Poonam Yadav's guile and accuracy has served India well in the middle overs, Schutt has come into her own since Perry's injury. Both of them should pick a wicket or two in this game while Nicola Carey also warranties a spot owing to her added batting prowess. As for the final spot in the side, one of Radha Yadav or Shikha Pandey should suffice depending on the availability of credits.

Bowlers: Alyssa Healy and Deepti Sharma were the standout batters in the previous IN-W vs AU-W encounter in this tournament. While both of them are in decent form, they are the ideal candidates for captaincy. Meg Lanning's big-match prowess could also be a bankable ploy with the Australian captain scoring 459 runs in 12 knockout games in Women's T20 World Cup history. One could go for a differential option by picking Harmanpreet Kaur as the captain.

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Dream11 Team Prediction

Fantasy Suggestion #1:

Alyssa Healy, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning, Ashleigh Gardner, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Jess Jonassen, Poonam Yadav, Nicola Carey and Radha Yadav.

Captain: Alyssa Healy, Vice-Captain: Deepti Sharma

Fantasy Suggestion #2:

Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav and Nicola Carey.

Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur, Vice-Captain: Alyssa Healy