Australia captain Meg Lanning still unconfirmed for the semi-final

South Africa lost the first semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 to hosts England, and the team that faces them in the final at Lord’s will be decided in the second semi-final between Australia and India, to be played on June 20. However, ahead of the big clash, Australia’s biggest worry is the fitness of their captain Meg Lanning, and if she can make it for the semi-final or not.

Lanning, who is currently the No. 1 batswoman in One-Day Internationals, suffered a shoulder injury early in the tournament, which kept her out of the following games. However, she is now racing against time to get fit and play in the knockout game. Although she had returned to play for the match against South Africa, she was rested for quicker recovery since Australia had qualified for the semi-final already.

If reports are to be believed, Lanning trained separately on the eve of the semifinal and got her shoulder tested by the head coach and physio. She had only a light net session. “She’s working closely with the physios, the people that need to know (what Lanning’s situation is) know what’s going on,” Australia allrounder Jess Jonassen said.

A terrific performer 

In the 5 innings that she has played in the tournament, she scored 328 runs including a 152 against Sri Lanka, and that explains how important her complete fitness is for the semi-final. “She’s not the No.1 batter in the world for no reason. To have someone of her calibre that comes back into the side whenever she can and whenever she’s fit enough, it’s a real boost to us,” Jonassen said.

As for the India eves, Mithali Raj will be the biggest force in the batting department. Raj and Jhulan Goswami, the two cornerstones of Indian cricket, will be very eager to move a step closer to the silverware they have never won.