Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes India’s biggest challenge against Australia is not a mental one but their fielding, especially catching, as the two teams get ready for a huge ICC Women’s T20 World Cup clash at Lord’s.
India’s catching has become one of the biggest talking points before what is expected to be the most important match of the group stage. The two top teams in women’s cricket are set to face each other with a place in the semi-finals on the line.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain gave his honest opinion on where India needs to improve before taking on Australia.
India dropped four catches in just five overs against Bangladesh on Thursday. Although they still managed to win that match, they also dropped two important catches near the end of their game against South Africa. Those missed chances proved costly as India lost the match and were left needing a win against six-time champions Australia to qualify for the semi-finals.
“They’ve got to take their catches,” Hussain said during the latest episode of The ICC Review Podcast. Hussain explained that dropped catches become even more costly against a team like Australia because they have a very strong batting line-up that goes deep.
He pointed out that Australia’s lower order also has experienced players who can change a game if given a second chance.
“You look at Alana King, maybe coming in at nine or 10. Sophie Molineux, the skipper, didn’t even bat in one game I covered, and she was due to come in at No.11. She’s a top all-rounder as the captain. So it’s hard enough getting those wickets without dropping catches. Can’t be giving Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney, or Phoebe Litchfield chances.”
Hussain also made it clear that India are not the only team struggling with catching in this tournament. He has seen similar problems from New Zealand as well. However, he feels India cannot afford these mistakes against Australia because the margin for error is very small.
“It’s not just India, New Zealand. I’ve done two games for New Zealand, (they) have dropped a lot of chances. It’s the one thing in the women’s game, especially the catching on the deep,” Hussain noted. “It’s just in the deep there’s a lot of chances in this World Cup that have gone down and you know that’s an area India need to improve on, is their fielding.”
Apart from fielding, another concern for India has been their middle order, which has not made a big impact in this tournament so far.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who played one of the finest innings of her career by scoring a brilliant century against Australia in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final in 2025, has struggled for runs in this World Cup. She has scored only 32 runs from her first three matches.
Now, with India once again facing Australia in a must-win game, Rodrigues will hope to take confidence from her previous success against the same opponents.
Hussain believes those memories can help her when she comes out to bat.
“I think it helps. Jemimah obviously has fantastic memories. It’d be one of her great innings and one of her most emotional innings as well, with it being in Mumbai, with it being a semifinal, a World Cup semi-final, and with-it being Australia,” he noted.
“I think it helps when you’re a little bit short of runs that you come up against an opponent you’ve done well against in the past.”
Australia have beaten India in five of their seven Women’s T20 World Cup meetings, which has led many people to talk about whether India still have a psychological barrier against their biggest rivals.
However, Hussain does not agree with that view. He believes India’s memorable victory over Australia in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final has changed things.
According to Hussain, the difference now is not about confidence or fear. It is about doing the basics well, especially taking catches.
“After the semi-final, I’m talking about the semi-final win in the 50-over World Cup, I don’t think there’s a psychological barrier there. I think now it’s a skills barrier and the main skill they have to nail is catching. They’ve got to catch better.”
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