Australia‘s vice-captain Tahlia McGrath has expressed strong confidence in her side’s preparations ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka. The Aussies will first face India in a three-match ODI series, which will act as vital preparation before the tournament. Regular tours, along with the Women’s Premier League, have ensured that most of the squad is well-acquainted with subcontinental conditions. However, the team will also encounter unfamiliar grounds where they have never played before.
Adapting to new challenges in India and Sri Lanka for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025
Australia’s women’s cricket team enters the upcoming ODI series and the World Cup with confidence, but also an awareness of the challenges that lie ahead. As per ICC, vice-captain McGrath admitted that while they are accustomed to Indian conditions, the new mix of venues poses unique challenges. “We have been quite lucky, we feel like we’re travelling to India every second month almost,” McGrath said before the ODI series in New Chandigarh. ‘Spent a lot of time over here, played in these conditions a lot, but we’re playing in some parts that we’re not very familiar with. [We are] in New Chandigarh at the moment, never been here before, [and] lots of the World Cup venues never been to before,’
The Holkar Stadium in Indore and Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati will host women’s ODIs for the first time, adding to the sense of unpredictability. Navi Mumbai is set to stage its maiden women’s 50-over games, while Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium will welcome Australia after a long gap since 2016. The ODI series against India, beginning on September 14 in New Chandigarh, offers a perfect opportunity for fine-tuning strategies.
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Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: Tahlia McGrath highlights why Australia remains favourites
Alongside adapting to conditions, McGrath believes Australia’s strength lies in the depth and stability of its squad. The team announced its World Cup squad on September 4, with Alyssa Healy returning to captain the side after recovering from injuries, supported by stalwarts such as Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner, and McGrath herself. “We’ve been pretty settled with our squad for quite a while now, so we’ve been pretty lucky with that. Not sure what Shell’s got in mind, but we’ve got so much talent, so much depth over here that it doesn’t really matter what team we throw out or what batting order, all that sort of thing, we’re in pretty good hands,” McGrath explained.
Australia’s dominance in women’s cricket is undeniable, with seven ODI World Cup titles already under their belt. Yet, McGrath emphasized that motivation is higher than ever, with the chance to win consecutive World Cups for the first time since Australia’s golden era of 1978, 1982, and 1988.
“An ODI World Cup is special, they’re probably the pinnacle. And then the extra little bit of motivation as well that we want to be the first team in a while to go back-to-back [in the] ODI World Cup,” McGrath concluded.
The journey begins with an unofficial Test against India in Lucknow on September 16, before their first World Cup clash against New Zealand in Indore on October 1. For McGrath and her team, the World Cup is more than just a tournament, it’s a chance to cement their legacy and extend Australia’s supremacy in women’s cricket. With experience, adaptability and unmatched squad depth, the defending champions enter the competition as strong favourites to lift the trophy once again.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
