Mithali Raj intends to pull off 'exceptional' win against the Aussies

As we inch closer to the second semi final of the ICC Women’s World cup between India and Australia, skipper Mithali Raj is hoping for the best. According to the flamboyant batsman, it will be a remarkable achievement if India manages to go through to the finals.

Mithali Raj has been on-song with the willow in hand scoring 356 runs from the seven innings that she has played. It also includes a swashbuckling century against the Kiwis that saw her team through to the semi-finals. She also became the first woman cricketer to go past the 6000 run mark in ODIs during the tournament.

Raj and his brigade have ended on the winning side on each of the four matches they have played at the County Ground. It also includes the inaugural match of the tournament where they defeated hosts England to kick start their campaign on a high.

In their group stage match against Australia, they suffered a heavy defeat against the Kangaroos. Despite the loss, Mithali batted like a warrior in that match too, managing 69 runs to her name.

What Raj had to say:

“It’s all about how the teams respond to the situation and the conditions on the day,” Raj said.

“How the players play the situation is important because having said that Derby is our home ground, you need to perform on that day to win. We’ve played a lot of the group stage here, four games, so we are aware of the conditions and that is our advantage.” added the skipper.

The Australians have won 6 out of 10 World Cups tournaments to date and are the clear favourites going into the battle. They also hold a massive 34-8 lead against the Indians as far as One Day Internationals are concerned.

“But Australia is a very good side. They won the last edition of this tournament and they have a lot of players who have played in high-pressure games. But for this Indian team, it is going to be a big game and if we can pull out one win, it will be exceptional by the team,” Raj insisted.