As Australia gear up to face India in the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, head coach Shelley Nitschke maintained a balanced tone, confident in her team’s preparation yet fully aware of the high-pressure nature of knockout cricket.
Speaking ahead of the clash in Navi Mumbai, Nitschke said that despite Australia’s status as tournament favourites, she doesn’t see her side as unbeatable.
“Semi-finals are anyone’s game, so I don’t think we’re going in as underdogs or favourites. It’s a pretty level playing field. It promises to be an exciting and tough contest,” she remarked. “The team that holds its nerve and overcomes the pressure of the semifinal will be successful.”
When asked about the captain’s Alyssa Healy fitness status, Nitschke confirmed that the management would give her as much time as needed. “She trained well yesterday, and we’ll give her as much time as she needs before making a call ahead of the game,” she said.
Australia have been in India for over six weeks, and Nitschke emphasized that familiarity with local conditions could prove valuable. “We’ve played a lot of cricket here, we’ve played some good cricket, there are things we can always improve on. We had a good session at DY to get used to the slightly different conditions,” she explained.
Shelley Nitschke was asked if in-form Pratika Rawal absence, due to injury, benefits Australia, she said, “India have got a lot of depth in their team. Obviously they’ve had a really good strong opening partnership with Rawal and Smriti (Mandhana), that changes things for them, I wouldn’t say it a relief because we certainly know whoever they put out there, they got a lot of depth with their batting lineup, so we’ve certainly got to be ready and be prepared for whatever opening combination they put out.”
Nitschke praised Tahlia McGrath for her leadership and composure during Alyssa Healy’s absence. “She probably hasn’t had the numbers she’d like, but she’s stepped into the captaincy role so well. She’s calm, composed, and adds great balance with the bat and ball. Having her at number seven gives us depth and options,” Nitschke said.
Asked about the bowling attack, Nitschke revealed that the team was still assessing conditions before finalizing the lineup.
“We’ll train again tonight and have a sit down at the end of training, again look at what our best team is against India, but also given the conditions here, so we won’t make a firm decision on that until tomorrow (match day),” she stated.
Since the 2017 World Cup, Australia have won 78 of their last 87 matches, a staggering record. But Nitschke brushed off the idea that statistics guarantee success.
“We so take some confidence out of the way we’ve been playing, but certainly I think that all the teams that have been playing in the semifinals are also playing some good cricket, to be in the position that they are in, so we are not certainly on our own with plans and good cricket, India have played some good cricket as have the two teams (England and South Africa) that are fighting in the other semifinal. I don’t think that counts for much in the semifinal.”
Star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, now ranked among the top three across batting, bowling, and all-rounder charts, earned high praise from the coach. “Ash has been unbelievable. So happy to see her have that role, particularly with the bat.
“We all know what she is capable of, but to actually see her take her game to the next level and do that in a World Cup has been fantastic. She’s someone who is very diligent in everything she does, she’s a hard worker, but I think for Ash, when she is at her best, it’s about making sure she is enjoying the game, enjoying the environment, and make sure she is getting into the contest,” Nitschke noted.
Australia’s campaign has gathered steam after a mixed start, but Nitschke said momentum only matters if players continue performing collectively. “Momentum is interesting, everyone talks about it. We’ve had a lot of our batters have contributed at some time across the tournament, so Hopefully that one or two can stick their hand. That’s been an upside of our tournament, we’ve had a number of players do well, similarly with the ball,” she said.
Reflecting on India’s explosive batting, especially recalling Harmanpreet Kaur’s heroics in the 2017 semi-final, Nitschke expects another fierce contest. “We expect a tough contest; there is no doubt about that.
“Every time we’ve played here it’s been a tough contest, really good conditions and a massive crowd. India have a strong batting order, they’ll throw everything at us, so we certainly need to make sure that we are ready for them, and they bat with a lot of depth now, so we are under no illusion as to their depth and skill in their batting order,” she said.
As Australia chase yet another World Cup final appearance, Nitschke’s words reflect calm confidence, a team aware of its pedigree but grounded enough to respect the occasion and the opposition.
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