**Women’s World Cup 2025: Formidable Australia to Face Struggling Pakistan – Match Preview**
*By Gaurav Tripathi | October 07, 2025, 4:59 PM IST*
The ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 continues with an exciting encounter as Australia takes on Pakistan in Match No. 9. The clash is set to take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on October 8.
**Match Context**
Australia enters this match buoyed by an impressive win over New Zealand in their opening fixture. However, their momentum was slightly stalled when their subsequent match against Sri Lanka was washed out. On the other hand, Pakistan has faced a challenging start to the tournament, suffering defeats against India and Bangladesh. Currently, Pakistan sits at the bottom of the eight-team table.
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**Pitch Report, Timing, and Broadcast Details**
The R. Premadasa Stadium is known for its bowling-friendly conditions, with recent matches here tending to be low-scoring affairs. Fast bowlers can expect some assistance early on, while spinners are anticipated to play a significant role as the game progresses.
The match will begin at 3:00 PM IST and will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network. Viewers can also stream the game via the JioHotstar app or website.
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**Australia: Looking to Build Momentum**
Australia, despite some of their star players like opener Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, and Annabel Sutherland not hitting their best form yet, pulled off a dominant win against New Zealand. Ashleigh Gardner’s century was the highlight, turning the contest into a one-sided affair.
This match against Pakistan offers Australia a valuable opportunity to fine-tune their game plan ahead of more demanding fixtures against top teams like England, India, and South Africa.
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**Pakistan: Facing Several Challenges**
Pakistan’s campaign has been difficult so far, with losses to both Bangladesh and India. Their batting lineup remains a major concern, as reflected in their low team totals of 129 and 159 in their two games.
Key players such as Sidra Amin, Fatima Sana, and Muneeba Ali have struggled to put together consistent performances, compounding the team’s woes.
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**Head-to-Head Record: Australia’s Dominance**
The history between these two sides heavily favors Australia. According to ESPNcricinfo, Australia has played 16 WODIs against Pakistan and has won every single match, with no games ending in a no-result. Their first encounter was on February 7, 1997, and their most recent clash took place on January 21, 2023.
Notably, five of these matches have occurred in the context of Women’s World Cups, reinforcing Australia’s dominance in this rivalry.
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**Probable Playing XIs**
*Australia:*
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:*
Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (c), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
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**Key Players and Stats to Watch**
– Sophie Molineux impressed against New Zealand with a remarkable three-wicket haul and boasts 26 WODI wickets at an exceptional average of 13.69.
– Ashleigh Gardner’s blistering century against New Zealand, scored off just 77 balls, is the third-fastest in tournament history and the quickest by an Australian batter.
– Nashra Sandhu made history last month 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-scorer this year, amassing 599 runs at an impressive average of 74.87.
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**Fan Poll**
Will Beth Mooney reach the 50-run mark in this clash?
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Stay tuned for what promises to be a compelling contest as Australia aims to maintain their unbeaten record against Pakistan at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
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