3 minute read

The key talking points and questions ahead of the women's Twenty20 World Cup final between Australia and India at the MCG on Sunday.

* Can Australia handle Poonam Yadav?:

Yadav almost single-handedly destroyed Australia's tournament with a superb 4-19 last month at the Sydney Showgrounds. The Aussies struggled to pick her wrong'un, while her slower speeds also troubled them. She will be a big planning point for the hosts and, while the MCG won't suit her as much as the Showground, Australia must find a way to combat her bowling to lift the trophy.

* Will the hosts' quicks stand up?:

Tayla Vlaeminck and Ellyse Perry's injuries have hurt Australia's bowling stocks, but they still have the world's best quick in Megan Schutt. What will be crucial are the performances of Delissa Kimmince and Nicola Carey. Kimmince was superb in the semi-final and will need to be again, while Carey will play her first World Cup final but has plenty of big-game Big Bash experience.

* Is this Alyssa Healy's moment?:

It's almost like the summer was made for this moment for Healy. With so much pressure on her in the build-up, she is the competition's equal-fourth leading run-scorer with 161 at 32.20. But nothing would be as emphatic as a big score in the final, which would take Australia a long way towards victory. The opener was the player of the tournament in the team's 2018 success.

* Can Harmanpreet Kaur find her form?:

All eyes will be on hard-hitting teenage opener Shafali Verma at the top of India's order, but Kaur is still the most dangerous. The last time she met Australia at the pointy end of a World Cup, she whacked 171 not out in the semi-final of the 2017 one-day tournament. Kaur has scored just 24 runs this tournament in four innings, and India desperately need her to find her best to beat Australia.

* The Crowd:

Rarely before has so much attention been on the crowd for an Australian sporting event for so long. More than 75,000 tickets have been sold, and organisers have been hoping for two years to top the world-record attendance for a women's sporting event of 90,185. That will place immense pressure on both teams, with Australia potentially having the advantage of being used to the expectation after dealing with it all tournament. The hosts also have the advantage of playing in five previous T20 World Cup finals, while this is India's first.