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India's women's team will be up against their fierce rivals, Australia, in a virtual quarter-final at Lord's, with their hopes of reaching the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals hinging on the result. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side desperately needs a win in their next Group A clash against the Aussies, which will increase their chances of qualification for the semi-finals.

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'Australia remains a strong side': Harmanpreet Kaur

Speaking to JioStar's 'Champions Huddle', India's Captain Harmanpreet Kaur pointed out that Australia remains a strong side even without Alyssa Healy. "We recently played a T20I series against Australia on their home soil, and we performed well. That series gave us confidence. It's not that after Alyssa Healy's retirement, Australia have become weaker. They are still a very strong side. They have a deep pool of players and a system that keeps producing quality cricketers. One player leaving doesn't change that," said Kaur.

Under the leadership of all-rounder Sophie Molineux, Australia women are unbeaten so far in the tournament. They are at the top of the table in Group A with four wins, and a win against India will cement their place in the semis. The Indian skipper hailed Molineux and said, "Sophie Molineux is a great captain too. She leads from the front and knows how to get the best out of her players. She is calm under pressure and reads the game well. She has been part of this Australian setup for a long time, so she understands the dynamics of the team. Under her leadership, they will be well prepared. But we have always played good cricket against them."

'We focus on our own skills'

"We have always given them tough competition in big tournaments. The mindset remains the same; we will give our best, work hard, and try to dominate them in every department. We know they are a strong team, but we also know we have the ability to match them," she added.

Kaur also stressed that the team is focused on themselves rather than thinking about Australia's strengths. "We know Australia have great cricketers. They have world-class players in every department. But we don't spend too much time thinking about them. We focus on our own skills. We talk about what we need to do on the match day, our batting plans, our bowling lengths, and our fielding standards. We discuss how we can execute our skills under pressure," she said.

"We know what Australia have achieved in the past, but that doesn't matter when we step onto the field. It's only about what we can do and how we can deliver to win that match. So, we keep the focus on ourselves. We talk about our strengths and how we can use them against them. That is what we will continue to do," she concluded. (ANI)