Test Match Special - Women's World Cup: England set for semi-final showdown with South Africa

Episode Date: October 28, 2025

Henry Moeran is with Alex Hartley, Daniel Norcross and Ffion Wynne to look ahead to the ICC Women's World Cup semi-finals. Plus, we hear from England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space, and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. Guwaharty, welcome to the Test Match Special podcast. This is Henry Moran. After 28 group stage matches, there are now just three games left in the ICC Women's World Cup. From eight sides, there are now just four. It's semi-final time, England against South Africa, India against Australia. We'll be hearing from the England captain, Nat Siverbrunt, and we'll be reflecting on a rain-affected group stage. Of course, we'll also be previewing two blockbuster games as the fight for the World Cup continues.

The TMS Podcast On BBC Sounds We're with me here on a balcony in steamy Assam Right in the north-eastern corner of India is the 2017 World Cup winner Alex Hartley Hello to you Good morning, good morning BBC sport cricket writer Fiona win

Hello to you Hello to you all And hello to test match special commentator Daniel Norcross Well hello, isn't it steamy and lovely? It is steamy and it is lovely, Daniel, come on then let's take a little moment to reflect on the group stages because 28 matches done and we're now out of foresight. Yes, the problem was it it wasn't really 28 matches that was done, was it?

Because there were a lot of fixtures that didn't get done. And I think that was one of the sort of prevailing disappointments of the group stage. We asked ourselves our very first podcast we did hear in Gooharty back, what, four weeks ago, you know, what's going to be your biggest disappointment? And I hadn't quite factored in the rain. We thought it might be crowds. The crowds have actually been all right. But the scheduling in Sri Lanka wasn't very helpful.

And I think it was sad because it meant that signs like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, who had shown promise and improvement over the last four years, weren't quite able to get those sort of signature surprise wins. There was hints of it. There was that brilliant day for Pakistan that was then ruined by the rain when it looked like they were going to beat England. Sri Lanka got halfway, possibly to beating New Zealand in their own patch,

getting over 250, setting a stiff chase. But, you know, look, that's the disappointments. On the plus side, we've seen some absolutely thrilling cricket, an amazing game in Vizag between Australia and India. I mean, you really felt the atmosphere. When India are playing, this tournament comes to life. And from an English point of view, it's mostly been plain sailing with just the two real disappointments,

that won against Australia when they were outplayed, and that stunning moment against Pakistan, as I mentioned earlier, that didn't quite come to fruition. But otherwise, I think England had been good. Australia have been predictably magnificent and India have struggled to make it through semifinals but for the tournament it's good that they're there Alex have we got the four best teams in the semi-finals

Yeah we've got the four teams that we thought would make it through to the semis But maybe not in the order that we thought I thought it would be Australia at the top Then England and then India And then South Africa fourth But actually South Africa have finished third And India have finished fourth

India sorry I've only got themselves to blame. They've played some good cricket in parts and then some poor cricket in others, but they are the right team to qualify for the semi-finals. Not only because they are one of the best teams in the world, but also it's a home tournament. So that's what you want to see. You want to see the home team playing in home tournaments and especially in knockout stages. The route that we've got here, Fion, it has seen rain, it's seen frustration, lots of conversations around the schedule and one thing and another. But ultimately, does that matter once we look at the bigger picture in terms of what we've got to come?

week in the semifinals, if it is indeed the four strongest sides? Yeah, you could argue that the rain didn't, you know, might not have made a huge difference in terms of the four teams that would have ended up in the semi-finals. It would have taken something really special for somebody like a Sri Lanka, a Bangladesh, Pakistan to get there. But the frustration is that they were pretty much denied the chance to prove something. So we, as Dan was saying, we were all kind of expecting a shock here and then. That's what it's, that's what it has taken out.

It has taken out the kind of shock result, the storyline. that we might not have expected, you know, there was a little wobble, as you said, England versus Pakistan. That would have been an incredible story, an incredible surprise. And those kind of giant killing stories, that's what it has lacked in terms of the rain, because those are the size that have been affected in New Zealand and that as well. I saw Channel 7 put a table out of teams, Australia first, England second, washouts above Australia. And that's the most disappointing thing, isn't it? The washouts have been the main story of this tournament.

You know, Colombo, the game's being there, we knew what was going to happen, we knew it was going to rain. It's monsoon season. Nobody has been surprised with what's happened there. It's just disappointing that we all knew it was going to happen, yet the tournament was still scheduled there. Well, I have asked the ICC for

clarification as to firstly why Sri Lanka was chosen as the alternative venue for Pakistan to play their matches, and also why the matches needed to happen at 3pm as opposed to in the morning when the weather was much more settled. They've said they'll get back to me. That was over a week ago.

I've chased a couple of times since and still heard nothing. So as soon as we do hear something, we will, of course, bring that information to you. But as yet, we have not heard any clarification on that. Yeah, and it actually, it is actually the three o'clock point is the one that I'm most interested in the clarification on because I do understand that UAE's had a lot of cricket going on there. It's very expensive as well.

There'll be a lot of games that would have to take place there. I do get it. And there was a certain elegance to Sri Lanka as a solution. But the thing is, and cricket administrators around the world do this. It isn't just the ICC. We had a similar situation. The 100 owls last game was washed out. The men got to play.

The women didn't. There are frustrations that take place all the time because of weather that you can't predict. But it's when you can predict that it's going to be bad light because it's September, that you can predict it's going to rain at about 4, 35 o'clock because it does it. every year you just bring it back you bring the timing back to 11 o'clock it should be simple

hopefully the next time there is a tournament in Sri Lanka and they sort of do have to happen in october quite a lot let's be clear it's not capricious you know you've got a women's premier league to fit in you've got a big bash league there's a lot of other cricket going on so october was the right time to do it but it's going to be october just just take note of history because sometimes what happens in the past is a fairly good indicator to what might happen in the future We'll get on to Australia's inevitable path towards the final league. No, we don't know what's going to happen. We've got our suspicions.

But we will get on to that second semi-final shortly. First of all, though, England against South Africa. Let's hear from the England camp. I spoke to Skipper Nat Siverbrunt at the team hotel early on this morning before the semi-final against South Africa. Well, Nat, South Africa, World Cup semi-final. What are you expecting? A great contest, I think.

Obviously, we've played them a long time ago in this competition. It feels like, yeah, ages ago. And the game was obviously very one-sided, but I can't go in expecting that again. They've obviously had some brilliant close games, some huge chases, lots of runs from their middle to lower order. So, yeah, I think a brilliant contest. what impact does that tournament opener have on this fixture same venue same opponent I mean the parallels are unusual

yeah yeah they are I guess it actually reminds me a bit of when we played India in 2017 in the first game and then obviously met them in the final so you get a second crack at it don't you but yeah I mean we can't go into that expecting that it'll be the same hopefully you know if we can get a couple of wickets it's that the pressure, yeah, we'll mount up on them

and we can really use that to our advantage. But obviously, I think there's going to be pressure, you know, throughout the game being a semi-final. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Sophie Eccleston's fitness was the big concern after the New Zealand match. How is she? Yeah, she's all right. She had a scan after the game.

She does have a minor injury, but, yeah, we're expecting her to be all right. I mean, such a huge player for us. so yeah it'd be great for her to be on that pitch tomorrow because it meant you had to do some on the spot shuffling of plans and everything else do you have a backup plan in place for such a circumstance yeah or obviously saw sophia dunkley bowl a couple of avas initially I was like well I'm probably going to have to bow ten

capsie's probably going to have to bowl 10 yeah I guess we've got got options like you say but yeah dunks has been bowling in the net So I think Lottie did give her a tap on the shoulder like a few weeks ago and be like, I think you are going to bow at some point in this competition. So, yeah, no, she was actually really good. I mean, a little surprise that she was like, what, now? It's like, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. But, yeah, she took it on really well.

There was a change to the team in the last match, Danny White Hodge, coming into the side. Can we expect to see the same 11 tomorrow? yeah I guess making a change for a semi-final would be quite tough on whoever's coming in or out of the side so yeah I would expect to say yeah and there was a shuffling of that middle order as well in terms of who batted where what was the thinking behind that yeah I guess just changing up roles a little bit so dunks has been batting at five for the tournament so far but I think the role at six obviously that's only you know know, one spot down, isn't it? But, yeah, the role at six could have her potentially in the last 10 overs where I think she can be really destructive. So, yeah, that was the thinking.

How much you enjoy captaining at a World Cup? Because you played plenty of them as a member of the squad, but captaincy is a different responsibility. Yeah, definitely. I've been really enjoying it, I think. I'm loving the, I guess, individual ways that you talk to different people and different bowlers, especially. I think just trying to make them feel as comfortable as possible to get the best out of them, I suppose. Yeah, I suppose as a captain, you're sort of making those decisions, but ultimately you're not the one ball and the ball and the ball.

So, yeah, I think for me, trying to make them feel as best they can and as confident as they can. Yeah, it's been really important. How different is this side in this World Cup compared to previous tournaments? I suppose like personnel-wise it's not too different obviously not too dissimilar to what we had in the summer but I think the clarity of role that everybody has and the skills that they've developed to perform that role has really shifted and yeah I've been really impressed with everybody taking that accountability and responsibility and what they want to work on and what they want to get out of themselves I suppose so yeah I think individually we're in a great place

that dynamic between you and Charlotte Edwards how does it reveal itself on the field I guess all the pre-planning meetings and I suppose tactics a little bit that's probably how it comes out most obviously a few messages here and there around drinks and stuff but I guess before the games

the four of us me Charlie, Sophia and Tammy all sort of get the information and then I guess working together on that pitch to make sure we're all working towards the same target is I guess how we've been doing it so far and off the field with Charlotte Edwards in terms of planning for a semi-final and a final and your path through the group stages

how's that relationship worked? It's been really good I think mostly we've been on the same page about different things that have had happened so far and yeah I mean

obviously she's got a massive cricket brain and a huge passion for the England women's side so yeah

it's been a great experience working with her during this World Cup and yeah hopefully it will continue to be any surprises

in terms of how the dynamics be no not really I guess the only thing is she's just massively different

from when she was a player I think being a coach, you can see things from the outside and see how, I guess, how different people work and different people care about, you know, what they're doing. So, yeah, she's got a great, I guess, insight into obviously what being a player is and how that feels. But then, yeah, she can see it from the other side. So, yeah, she's obviously brought that different side to her. And, yeah, it's really great to use that. It's a tournament for you, personally, that will be different because you're captain,

but also different because of the fact that, personally, you're away from Theo and you're away from Catherine for a lot of time. How's that been? It's been pretty tough at times. Yeah, I just miss them so much. Obviously, they managed to come out to Sri Lanka, which, yeah, Catherine was very brave in taking that flight on her own. but yeah I mean to see him halfway through the tournament was a huge boost

so yeah I mean when you get towards the end of a competition and you know when that that time is that you can see them again gets close I think it gets a bit harder so yeah we're certainly missing each other and really looking forward to seeing them both again and what would it mean to lead England out in a World Cup final have you considered that prosper I'll allow myself to consider it a bit today and then by the time we get to training

probably I'll be focused on that obviously the semi-final but yeah I mean I would absolutely pinch myself if I was able to do that the first time around I suppose so seeing them have got a great legacy in World Cups and we'll see 50 over World Cups especially so yeah to do all of the people that have gone before proud in getting to the final

would be absolutely massive. I mean, not to me. And you know that as a player that has so much success, so much history in the game, there is something different about being a captain and leading a side

and getting through a tournament which has had its challenges. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I guess having that added responsibility of, yeah, I guess being the leader of the side is something different, but something I've really enjoyed. I guess, yeah, putting

putting myself out there and, you know, defending us if we need to or showing the way or whatever it is. Leading by example is basically what I wanted to do and hopefully everyone wants to follow. I guess, yeah, if we can cultivate that sort of relationship as a side, yeah, hopefully the world will be our oyster. Well, Fion, the key news from all of that is the fitness of Sophie Eccleston,

and the statement from the ECB is that results of an MRI scan on Sophie Eccleston's left shoulder indicate a minor injury to the joint next to her collarbone. She will continue to be assessed ahead of Wednesday's semi-final against South Africa. Optimistic is the feeling and certainly seems to be the case from what Matt Siverbrun was saying. Yeah, they seem confident. It was a she'll be okay without explicitly saying that she will be okay. but if England were without their best bowler for the semi-final that would be a huge, huge blow.

She's had a magnificent tournament. All of England spinners have, actually. It's been their biggest weapon and the fact that they're playing back in Guwahati, which we saw was a slow pitch, a turning pitch. They'll be absolutely desperate to get her involved, get her in the 11. But if there is a scenario where she's not quite right

and maybe she pulls up sore in the morning, that's a huge call to make in the sense of, Do you risk her for the semi-final, and then if England win, if she makes it worse, if they make it to the final? Or do you think, well, we could beat South Africa without her, let's just save her? It's a really, really big call to make, but fingers crossed, they seem optimistic that she'll be all right. Yeah, I think that's the thing, isn't it? If they're saying that she'll be all right, then I think she'll play, to be honest. I think she has to play knockout tournament.

For me, you play your best 11. Having said that, if they need to bring in another spinner, they've got Sarah. on the side who is a brilliant spinner keeps the stumps in play turns the ball away from the right-hander so they have got options if sof decides or the ECB sorry decide that she isn't fit fit to play that game but i would i would think we'll see her on the pitch what about the narrative that was played down understandably by nat silver brunt there daniel of the opening fixture of the tournament how it doesn't reflect what's going to happen in in the game that we're going to see in the semi-final at the same venue but it's it's a

It's an interesting parallel. It is, because I don't think South Africa really set up for a Giorhardi semi-final. They like to go seem heavy. Their spinners are not big turners of the ball. They've got Mlarba, Chloe Tryon, but they're not the spinners that England have got for those kind of circumstances,

and England have got the kind of wild card of Lindsay Smith opening the bowling in those steamy conditions, actually sort of getting a little bit of in-drift into the right-handers, which South Africa struggled with so much. I mean, that was what broke the game open the first time. You would say that surely South Africa can't play that badly again. I mean, they were bowled out for under 70,

and England won with 35 overs to spare, with 10 wickets in hand. It's not going to be like that, you wouldn't think, but South Africa's last game against Australia, they did the same sort of thing. They kind of boom or bust team, and that's exemplified by their opener, and especially Tasman Brits, who either seems to get 100, or she gets single-figure scores.

So you just don't really know which South Africa is going to turn up. They were really impressive in recovering from that loss. You know, that would have done awful things to other teams. And then they played some brilliant cricket, you know, beating India, for example, Nadine DeClerc, down the order, they'd show great resilience in winning games. They looked like they weren't going to win. Coming back from games where they looked like they were going to lose and shock defeats

potentially against the likes of Bangladesh, say, but England are going to be favourites. And for those of you who like portents, by the way, the last time England won the 50 over World Cup, or indeed any World Cup, 2017, England players. South Africa in a semi-final, and India played Australia in a semi-final. So, you know, I don't know. Does that float your boat? It sort of floats mine. Well, we shall wait and see it.

It's an interesting one. You might need a boat in Navi Mumbai, by the way, looking at the forecast. Tasby Brits, yeah, unpredictable to say the least, feel. 100 against New Zealand, 55 not out against Sri Lanka, but she's got three ducks and 11 runs across five other innings. I mean, you just don't know what you're going to get with South Africa. No, and she's that sort of player, and so she's very aggressive at the top of the order. That's kind of her brief, I suppose, from the South African management. So with that style of play, you probably do assume it is probably going to be inconsistent.

And they're prepared for that with her. But Laura Bulfar is the kind of much more elegant, much more classy opener than the captain, who's just started to find her feet after a bit of a slow start. So I can't imagine, I agree with Dan that England are firm favourites, mainly because of the conditions and the spinners. I can't imagine we'll see a performance as bad from South Africa. I think they'll definitely have learned from that. They'll definitely have prepared better for Lindsay Smith

and the threat that she poses in the power play. But I think, yeah, we've also seen England batting-wise come unstuck on that pitch notably against Bangladesh losing seven for 70 or whatever it was. So I think, you know, if Inglebat first, that's also another thing that they're really going to have to think about because it's not going to be the flat surface of FISAG and Indoor that they've played on for the past three games.

So they're going to have to go back and adapt. again and that's what this tournament is. It's so many different venues. It's so many different conditions, times a day. They're going to have to adapt quickly. What about Alex, the threat from South Africa? Where, from England's perspective, do they need to be cautious? I think on the sticky wickets, the spinners, they might get a couple to hold.

We know that they've struggled with the ball turning away. Alana King, for example, has torn England apart on a number of occasions. They don't really have an Alana King. Marizan Cap with the new ball. She might get it to nip around a little bit. There has also been some question marks on her fitness, and is she at the top of her game, having not bowled her allotted overs on a number of occasions.

So, you know, Marazan Cap with the new ball, she is always dangerous, but there's always opportunities at the other end when you're playing a team like South Africa. Yes, they've got in-swing bowlers, but they're just not as good as the likes of India and Australia. So for me, England are real firm favourites. They've just got to be sensible,

but it is building in innings. And, you know, England have been heavily reliant on Nat Siverbrunt and Heather Knight They have been for a while now But they've also fired in this tournament But Alice Capsi in the previous game Up the Order a little bit Danny Wyatt Hodge coming in

That just gives me a little bit more confidence We know that this England team's going to be the same From what Nats of a Brunt was saying Daniel Yeah I just as Al was talking there It just occurred to me what a match of contrast this is You know South Africa who've got Sunilis batting at three

Which to me is about two places too high They're sort of top order once you get through the openers, it looks really brittle. For England, their strength lies in their top four, and then their middle order looks really brittle. And then you've got a South African side, which is mostly built around scene, the likes of Kaka and Kapp.

And for England, it's mostly built around spin. So that's why we keep saying that England are favourites in these conditions at Guwahati. But then we'd be confounded by pitches before, you know. They're not the same pitches. That's because it's the same venue. We found at Colombo. You could play there, didn't we?

One game was very spin-friendly. and 200 would be a tough ask and then the next time the seam is doing all the damage it was Fatim Asana that ripped England apart with the in-swing so you just, I don't think we know but what we do know is it's going to be fun

because it's two sides that set up so very differently have totally different strengths and weaknesses and that's what kind of makes for an exciting game ahead of the tournament the general feeling was if England didn't make the semi-finals that would be a failure given what we've seen if they don't make the final

Fion, would that be a failure? I don't think it would be a failure. I think England have been good without being great yet. And that can be seen as quite an exciting thing, quite a good thing. Charlotte Edwards has actually said the whole way through that, you know, she's been saying the best is yet to come. And they'll be hoping that a knockout stage will bring out the best of them because they know they've got to be at the top of their game.

I think it's going to be a really, really big test of the kind of narrative that followed England probably for the part. year or so is how they perform against teams that they're expected to beat. And then, you know, we saw it in the T20 World Cup where under pressure it all fell apart. So, you know, they have been under pressure at times in this tournament, but obviously without the kind of knockout, you know, context to it. So I think it's a really big opportunity for them to kind of, you know, shut people up a little bit in that sense of, you know, that they can prove that this is a different England team.

They've been telling us for the whole time that this is a different England team. There have been batting wobbles. Their bowling generally has been very, very good, and their fielding has been really much improved. I think there are still a few question marks, particularly over the middle order batting. But if they can get over the line under the context of a knockout game, there's always pressure on a knockout game,

regardless of who you're playing. We saw that against the West Indies. It wasn't a semi-final, but with what was on the line, and I think this would be a big, big tick in that box for both Charlotte Edwards and that Syverbron if they can put that narrative to bed. Yeah, I think they've sort of been doing that, haven't they slowly but surely throughout this tournament

and they've gone away from inspiring and entertain and just gone in to find ways to win. And that's what's entertaining. When you're watching your team win, you know, as fans you want to watch England win and it's inspiring when they are winning and they're finding ways to win. Can I say win any more times in that couple of sentences?

I'm not quite sure I can. But it is good for. watching them and there's been some nitty gritty games where they've found ways to get over the line and rather than find ways to lose they've been finding ways to win and that's what's impressed me they've just got to do it when they're under the pump now yeah i mean it's interesting if you analyze the matches that they've played they're absolutely thrashed new zealand and south africa and those are two of the sides that they were under pressure because it's really a top five and four trying to get into the semifinals and england did really well against them

they got surprised by bangladesh and pakistan who were two not on batting sides that go long on spin and actually they could easily have lost both of those games but as Al said they dug in against Bangladesh against Sri Lanka they were a stronger side I mean there was the old wobble but they won very convincingly by 89 runs the other two semi-finalists they were outplayed for large parts of those games

Australia did frankly thrash them with ten oaves despair in India well India will be wondering to this day how they managed to lose that game but what intrigues me is that actually against a batting side rather than a bowling side, which is what India is. England's bowling is able to stay in it because even when that rate gets up to six,

you can still, Lindsay Smith can come on to bowl and she can bowl a couple of overs that go for three or four and suddenly that rate goes up. So they can take the game really deep. Deeper, I think, than other teams can, and they're more of a threat against sides with strong batting. Weirdly than they are against sides with weak batting, stronger bowling.

and so that's why it's a really good matchup against South Africa and then whoever they play if they win that game in the final will be a really tough ask either India at home in front of a very excitable crowd or I'm going to say this the best sports team in their category in the world Australia there's I don't think there is another team that dominates their sport like Australia does I think that's probably fair all things considered

we'll get on to that semi-final in just a moment but Alex how will Charlotte Edwards be preparing this England side, do you think? I think in exactly the same way as she has throughout. You know, she's calm. She'll just be, they'll go to training today. They'll do everything they need to. You know, you don't change how you prepare a side

just because you're in a knockout game. So everything will stay the same for Charlotte Edwards. I've never been coached by her. I've never played under her. You know, she stepped aside as England captain when I came into the side. So I've never actually experienced her way of coaching or her way of leading a team, but I can only imagine it's,

It's quite calm at times and also fun. So what I do know is that everything that they've done from game one, they will be doing to the semi-finals. Well, we shall wait and see how it all plays out. In a moment, we'll be looking ahead to the second semi-final between India and Australia, where the forecast in Navi Mumbai is far less certain than it is here in Guwahati. Remember every ball of every game of this tournament

available to listen to on BBC Sounds. Plus, not far away from the start of the men's ashes, test match special bringing live coverage and so much more besides, it all gets underway on November 21st. The Dakar Rally is the ultimate off-road challenge. Perfect for the ultimate defender. The high-performance defender, Octa,

626 horsepower twin turbo V8 engine and intelligent 6D dynamics air suspension. Learn more at landrover.ca. The TMS podcast on BBC Sounds. So here in India, it is semi-final time, as Charlotte Edwards actually herself wanders past here at the team hotel. Actually, she's going to retire because it's a little bit too hot, but she's been running. She's taken one look. I'm glad she didn't hear that answer I just sad about.

She's taken one look at the weather and is heading back inside. But Daniel, it is lovely and steamy. hot here in Guwaharty, it is less certain in Navi Mumbai where India take on Australia and that could be significant. Well it could. We have a reserve day now that we get to the semi-finals but the problem

we've been having in Mumbai is that it has been raining sort of relentlessly. Now just check the latest forecast and whilst today as we speak it's expected to pour down with rain again and tomorrow pouring down with rain again the game's not till Thursday and Thursday just has

dollops of rain. Friday I say dollops, the light rain which could be annoying and keep them off for a while but it's supposed to get better later in the day they will make absolutely certain that that game gets completed I'm sure as long as it doesn't port with rain because apart from anything else no one wants to see

a washout but India finished fourth in the group. Australia finished top if they don't get a result Australia would march straight to the final it would be a very unsatisfactory thing to have happened especially in a home world cup but it's been weirdly unseasonal. When we did the

World Cup, Al, you and me, the Men's World Cup two years ago, it was around this time a year, and we didn't actually get that rain, certainly not on that side of the country. You tend to get it up in the North or Hardy where we are now and down south, but over there not. So, look,

I think we're going to be fine. Let's not catastrophize about it, and it will be such an event because the D.Y. Patel Stadium is the de facto home of women's cricket now in India. And India's really embrace women's cricket in the last three or four years the arrival of the WPL

yet you can't move on social media for videos of seven eight year old girls playing absolutely perfect forward defensives and crunching cover drives this vast country has got vast resources and suddenly they've really really got into women's cricket

so they're going to be a force to reckon with over the next 15, 20 years are they ready yet to take on the best side in the world the jury's out they weren't quite up to the mark when they played them in

Visag, the game that you saw although they gave them a pretty good go putting on 330 odd but it turned out to be about 32 fewer and I'd be interested in your guy's views but to me I've kind of reached a conclusion the only way you beat Australia is you've got to bat second and you've got to be bold

because your only hope is that Australia can knock off anything that's set you've just got to hope that they don't quite know what it is they need to set. By bold, you mean bold and brave, not bold, middle stump out of the ground. I mean exactly that, yes, yes, although that can happen with Annabelle Sutherland is bowling 74 mile per hour, dark backers as we saw against England. Yeah, it still feel, even though India haven't been at their best, as we said,

it still feels like they are the team most likely to beat Australia, whether that is because of the home crowd or because of, you know, they've got a bit of history against Australia in semi-finals before, as we know, but I'm with Dan on the batting front it's the depth that they've got that just makes chasing just they make it look so easy they made that chase of 330

I know you know there was a couple of wobbles but in the end they India were 20 short they made the chase against England look like a walk in the park even when they'd lost four early wickets and there's a brilliant piece on the BBC Sport website looking into how you could possibly be Australia is it very good who wrote it

feel. I don't want to name drop. I've heard she's an excellent writer. But looking at their batting there is just, that's where they lead the way, because as we said, they've got all rounders, they've got Georgia Wareham at 8, Tali McGrath didn't even need to bat against England, it's just

ridiculous, but you can't really see any weak link. So against pace they're averaging 43 and striking at 107, against spin their averaging 40 and striking at 92. They've got the highest run rate in the middle overs. They've got an average opening partnership of 73 they're scoring at over six runs and over in the power plate

you know that that's and you know you swap out alicea healy and it george of all hasn't exactly lit things up but it hasn't made a huge amount of difference in terms of actually winning games of cricket and that's yeah that's what's that you take three wickets annabel sutherland strides and you're thinking she's had three single figure scores this is england's way in now she just strolls to 98 not out ash gardener hits 100 off 69 balls It's the way they make it look so easy and it's so impressive. I think you've got to make them take risks. So if you get them four down early like England did,

you don't just push out the field, you don't just have four out straight away. You want somebody like Ash Gardner to want to go over the top because she's an aggressive player. And, you know, you put four out, mid on, mid off out, deep midwicket, deep cover, whatever your field may be and they will find those singles. So what you have to do, and then they will adapt and then they're in.

And once you're 20 off 20, you're in on a surface like, you know, they've been playing on, especially when you're in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai. So keep that field up and let them make mistakes, because they are human, they are going to make mistakes. Ash Gardner, yes, she looks brilliant against England, knocking the ball down the ground. But if mid on and mid off, we're up, she's going to take them on. And that's where the risk and reward comes in. So I think you bowl first, you put them under pressure, but you keep trying to apply pressure. And yes, there are times in games where you need to have four fielders out to not concede boundaries, but there are also times in games

where you have to be happy to concede a boundary to create other pressures. There are some players that have certain weaknesses, let's not forget Ashgarden, does seem to have a bit of a weakness against off-spin when she first starts, and England in Charlie Dean have got somebody who's very capable of exploiting that.

Charlotte Edwards knows all about this. We see her every day, she's wandering around with her iPad, I ask her about it, she says, yep, she's always taking notes. She'll have plans for every single one of them when it comes to how to get them out. What I want to see more of with the bat is I get trying to take the game deep

but 250, 260 isn't going to beat Australia you have to risk it if you get bowled out for 160 and you lose the game so be it what England didn't do against Alana King was get after and that civil brunt did got out immediately and then everybody else went into their shell. But India arguably did take it up they scored 330. Yeah they did but they were

so they were batting first and that's what I mean they were bolder they were brave yeah and at 294 for 4 they were doing it exactly right unfortunately they collapsed in a heap we got 36 for 6 at the back end and that can happen and they were being bold and they were trying to do that but 36370

might have won them the game and so I thought they played that game really really well until the last what was it six overs or so you were there and it was these things can happen can't they but the route to success against them has to be fearless cricket

because you're not going to win through attrition I think as you said Henry India scored three 30 and took them on but I think part of that is they are so good that as an opponent you can do everything right you can score 330

340 and you know bowl pretty well and back pretty well and take your chance in the field but they are that good that sometimes it won't matter because the psychological edge that Australia have over everyone is that you've got to put your perfect perfect perfect game

together while also hoping that they make a few mistakes and they don't do it very often. Alex, you've just shown me a couple of pictures from Navi Mumbai, which looks like it might be slightly more suitable for a rowing regatta than it does for a game of cricket. Well, that or Glastonbury Festival. You know, it's very muddy.

It's, yeah, it doesn't look great. There's floods everywhere. I don't know how I would describe that. It looks like some sort of cowfield, doesn't it? So it's not going to be the best. That's not the outfield, by the way. That's just the entrance to one of the walkways to the ground. Yeah, but that's just showing how much water has come down.

know, how wet it is in Navi Mumbai. So they've got a big job on their hands, the ICC, to clear all that up before the semi-final on Thursday. It's going to be a big crowd. It is going to be a crowd that are not watching Prattika Raoul, at the top of the order for India. A horrible twisted ankle has ruled her out the tournament. So, Sheffali Verma gets an opportunity at the top of the order.

Well, that's if she plays. That's if she plays. Holly in Dull, for me, I think she might go up to the top. She's not having the best tournament with the bat, but then you can bring back in Ammanjot Cor. And I think that, for me, that's more important. having Amundjot in the middle alongside Jamima Rodriguez, giving you a little bit of stability in the middle. However, however, if Shefali Verma comes in, she's a destructive player at the top.

And the message to her would be go out and put the Australia bowlers under pressure. Because the two opening bowlers for Australia, Megan Schuett and Kim Garth, is for me their only weakness in the team. Their only weakness at all. Either of them, once they get going and they get settled, very, very destructive bowlers. But if you can put them off at the top of the order, then they do. occasionally leak runs but I don't know if Shefali will play I hope she does but I think they want to get Ammanjot back in

we should wait and see it's interesting to see how India do approach this and it'll be interesting to see what the reaction would be Daniel they didn't qualify which the probability is against Australia they wouldn't but you never know what would be the impact on Indian cricket

if they didn't make that marquee final well I don't know that it would be a huge impact so the impact would be if they do so it's look no one i think is expecting them in the wider world of cricket to beat australia indian diehard fans will be because that's their default mechanism is where they expect to be but indian crickets come along a very long way and i think what they'll be hoping for most of all is a proper shootout so they've got the conditions right they've got the batters right it's the sort of lineup that we keep saying that can beat australia for the simple

reason that they bat so deep with Riche Gosh down at number seven. She's had a really good tournament. Snairana at 9. They can still hit 6es all the way down that order. They've got Sweetly Mander of the leading run score. At Practica her a while's loss is a big one. But actually

she's scored a lot of runs but it's not got a massively high strike rate. And when you come on to a pitch where we're expecting 300 plus to be the bare minimum, then someone like Sheffali Verme getting a 35 ball 60 at the top of the order might be exactly what they need

to climb into Australia's opening bowlers. If India do win it could be the game changer for women's cricket that the 1983 men's win against the West Indies was. And there are certain parallels there. The West Indies in 1983

in the men's game were the same dominant force as the Australian women are today. No one gave India a prayer of winning that game. They won it and it completely transformed the outlook of world cricket. and that's why we're sort of speculating like this but I tell you if India don't win it this time

I think in four years time or eight years time they're going to be there and thereabout I saw their under 19s and they were fantastically gifted on their way to winning the title last December there's so much talent coming through Indian cricket it's a juggernaught that won't be stopped I think they make a really good opening pair though

with Smitty Mandanah taking advantage of the power play and Pratica just knocking the ball around They've got the two highest run scorers in this competition. And I think that has set the tone for the rest of the team moving forward. I understand that maybe sometimes when you have somebody that's not rotating the strike as freely, it can put pressure on other batters. We saw it with Tammy Beaumont when she was 17 or out, and Sophia Dunkley was 12 off 33. It put pressure on Beaumont.

But I think they've been a brilliant opening pair. And unfortunately for her, she's out of the tournament. But I think with them together, they make a dangerous. opening pair because I just feel they suit each other really nicely but I'm with Dan you know if Sheafoli Verma comes in for her first game and gets a 30 ball 60 she will set that stadium on fire

and my word will it be good to watch right then simple question Who are your finalists Fiona? Australia and England Daniel It's got to be hasn't it? We'd love it to be England and India but it's got to be Australia and England

I want to be different, obviously. You are quite different, Alex. I'm going to go to England, India. Oh, you're going for it. I could be wrong. Probably I'm wrong, but I just want to be different to you, lot. Well, that's fair enough. Thank you very much, indeed, to Alex DeFion and to Daniel's semifinals get underway.

Wednesday morning, England against South Africa, here in Guwahati at 9.30 in the morning. Test match special coverage from 9.15. It's the same timings on Thursday with India against Australia in Navi, Mumbai. That is the venue for Sunday's final, incidentally. And don't forget, do subscribe to the Test Match Special podcast on BBC Sounds. Make sure you miss nothing from TMS, including all the analysis and reaction from this World Cup.

Plus, no balls to cricket podcast with Alex and Kate Cross. Special interview this week with Elisa Healy, the Australian captain. And there's so much to look forward to from the men's ashes as well. Lots of podcasts for you to enjoy already, including episodes from the Ashes series, amazing stories from the four. former England fast bowler Stuart Broad also the 2005 Ashes winning Captain Michael Vaughn and if that isn't enough we've got a special episode just released assessing what makes an away Ashes win just such a challenge that's all for this episode of the TMS podcast

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