West Indies have a lot to prove after being on the losing side of the 2012 ICC World T20 semifinals in Sri Lanka against Australia and losing yet again in the 2013 ICC World Cup against the same team in the finals.
After the world cup final match in India, the two teams are meeting for the first time and the Bangladesh conditions weren't familiar to both teams at the start of the tournament and now Dhaka is as foreign as any pitch, given the fact that so many matches have been played there the entire season making it turn and spin more than they can expect.
The West Indies vice-captain Stafanie Taylor was confident that her team can turn the table around this time around to reach the finals. "We've played real good cricket to reach this far in the tournament, but obviously we are aware of how things have panned out before and are keen to turn the tide this time around," Taylor said. "We are a quality team; all the players back each other. Australia may have the experience, but we'd like to believe with the firepower we have, we can topple any team."
Australia have won the three previous matches in the group stage having lost their very first encounter with New Zealand.
West Indies, however, won the first three and lost the last one to India (where Mithali Raj and Poonam Raut powered India for a consolation win).
"It's a day game, so dew will be out of the picture, but the wickets in Dhaka will be a lot slower. We have an explosive batting line-up, but will need to temper our game a little bit," a concerned Taylor said ahead of their semis clash. "In the game against India too, the pitch was on the slower side unlike in our first few matches. I thought their batters made it look a lot easier than it was. On these wickets, we shouldn't be too cautious, yet can't aim for too big a total."
The Calypso mood follows the West Indies women's team as it evidently follows the men's. They have made Bangladesh fans their own in the tournament so far and have given more reasons to believe that women's cricket too can mean a lot of entertainment. "That's how the people of the Caribbean are," Taylor added. "Sport is celebration. You may win, you may lose, but we play with the fun element that makes winning all the more special. That is how both our teams play. It's good for our fans back home that they can get to watch both of us in the semifinals. Darren Sammy has been in constant touch with the women's team, he always offers us suggestions and tips. Hopefully both of us can make it through to the final."
Meanwhile, Australia are used to the big moments and have made it a habit to win. They have won the World T20 title twice in a row now. Can this one be the third? Well, their brand of cricket is of high standards, but they come from a disappointing summer losing the Ashes at home. But Australian skipper Meg Lanning is positive about the results. Lanning herself has proved her team's ability with a 65-ball 126 in the match against Ireland making it the top score in the tournament and the highest ever in Women's T20.
"All the girls are excited, but with the excitement comes a few butterflies in the tummy," Lanning said. "All of us know how huge a moment this would be for women's cricket back home. The World Cup win was big, so this will be even bigger. Having been through the pressure situations many times before, I'm sure we're capable of grabbing the opportunity."
Where to Watch Live Online and TV [Australia Women vs West Indies Women]
Match starts at 2.30 pm local time, 2.00 pm IST, 8.30 am GMT. Viewers in India and the subcontinent can watch the match live on Star Sports 1 and 3 and online viewers can click HERE for the live action.
Viewers in Australia can watch the action live on Fox Sports while the match will be covered live in the Caribbean and the US on ESPN.
Online viewers in the Caribbean and the US can stream the match live HERE.
For viewers in UK, the match will be covered by Sky Sports and can be live streamed HERE or HERE.
Squads:
Australia Women: Meg Lanning (capt), Alex Blackwell, Alyssa Healy, Nicole Bolton, Jess Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Ellyse Perry, Julie Hunter, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Delissa Kimmince.
West Indies Women: Merissa Aguilleira (capt), Shemaine Campbelle, Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Stafanie Taylor, Stacy-Ann King, Shanel Daley, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrine Munroe, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt, Shaquana Quintyne.
