Women’s World Cup 2025: Formidable Australia Meet Struggling Pakistan – Match Preview
By Gaurav Tripathi | Oct 07, 2025 | 04:59 pm
The ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 continues as Australia takes on Pakistan in Match No. 9 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on October 8. Australia comes into this game buoyed by an impressive win against New Zealand in their opener, although their last match against Sri Lanka was washed out. On the other hand, Pakistan has had a tough start to the tournament, losing their first two matches against India and Bangladesh.
Pitch Report, Timing, and Broadcast Details
The R. Premadasa Stadium is known for its bowling-friendly pitches, often resulting in low-scoring matches. Fast bowlers can expect some assistance early on, while spinners are likely to become more influential as the game progresses. The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 pm IST and will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network as well as the JioHotstar app and website.
Australia: Looking to Build Momentum
Despite some key players like opener Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, and Annabel Sutherland yet to fire, Ashleigh Gardner’s century against New Zealand set the tone for Australia’s dominant performance in their opening match. Australia will look to use this match against Pakistan to fine-tune their strategies before facing tougher opponents such as England, India, and South Africa later in the tournament.
Pakistan: Several Concerns Ahead
Pakistan’s campaign has been rocky so far, with losses to both Bangladesh and India leaving them at the bottom of the table in the eight-team competition. Batting depth remains a major issue, as reflected in their low team totals of 129 and 159 in recent games. Key players like Sidra Amin, Fatima Sana, and Muneeba Ali have struggled to produce consistent performances, adding to the team’s worries.
Head-to-Head: Australia’s Domination
The head-to-head record between Australia and Pakistan is heavily in favor of Australia. According to ESPNcricinfo, Australia has played 16 ODIs against Pakistan and emerged victorious in all of them, with no matches ending without a result. The teams first met on February 7, 1997, and last clashed on January 21, 2023. Notably, five of these encounters have taken place during World Cups.
Probable Playing XIs
Australia Probable XI: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Alana King, Darcie Brown.
Pakistan Probable XI: Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (c), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
Key Performers to Watch
- Sophie Molineux claimed a three-wicket haul against New Zealand and boasts 26 WODI wickets at an impressive average of 13.69.
- Ashleigh Gardner scored a blazing century off just 77 balls against New Zealand, the third-fastest in Women’s World Cup history and the quickest by an Australian batter.
- Nashra Sandhu recently made history by becoming the first left-arm Asian spinner to take a six-wicket haul in a Women’s ODI.
- Sidra Amin is Pakistan’s leading run-getter in WODIs this year, accumulating 599 runs at an outstanding average of 74.87.
Fan Poll
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