Australia Women vs Pakistan Women: Defending Champions Eye Dominance as Pakistan Chase First Win in World Cup 2025

Australia Women vs Pakistan Women Match Overview and Toss Update

The 9th match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and chose to field first, hoping the dry surface would assist her spinners. Her decision was influenced by the recent trend at the venue where chasing teams had a slight advantage.

Australia skipper Alyssa Healy, confident as ever, expressed satisfaction with batting first, emphasizing her team’s strategy of setting a challenging total and applying scoreboard pressure on opponents.

Playing XIs

Australia made two notable changes: Georgia Wareham replaced Sophie Molineux, and Megan Schutt returned in place of Darcie Brown. Pakistan also adjusted their lineup, bringing in young batter Eyman Fatima for the experienced Aliya Riaz to strengthen their middle order.

Historical Dominance and Form Guide

Australia’s dominance over Pakistan in women’s ODIs remains one of the most one-sided rivalries in cricket history. The Australians have never lost to Pakistan in this format, winning every encounter between the two sides.

In their last bilateral series in 2023, Australia’s victories were emphatic — winning by 8 wickets, 10 wickets, and 101 runs, highlighting the gulf in class.

Their form since the last World Cup has been equally commanding, securing 27 wins in their last 32 matches, a testament to their consistency and squad depth.

Pakistan, in contrast, have struggled to find rhythm in this tournament, losing heavily to both Bangladesh and India in their opening matches. The team’s batting frailties and lack of early wickets have been their biggest hurdles so far.

Early Match Developments

Australia started cautiously after being sent in to bat. Openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield built a patient stand, taking the score to 17/0 in the fourth over, carefully navigating Pakistan’s disciplined new-ball attack.

Pakistan’s bowlers — especially Diana Baig and Fatima Sana — managed to maintain tight lines, preventing the Australian batters from scoring freely. With spinners like Nashra Sandhu waiting to exploit the dry surface, Pakistan aimed for quick breakthroughs to contain the scoring rate.

Pitch and Weather Report

The R. Premadasa Stadium pitch offered early movement for pacers but was expected to assist spinners as the match progressed. The dry conditions made batting increasingly difficult later in the innings.

Weather in Colombo remained hot and humid, with passing clouds threatening short interruptions but no major rain expected. Teams were mindful of dew during the evening, which could make bowling second a challenge.

Pitch Insights

Key Factors to Watch

1. Australia’s top order: With players like Healy, Litchfield, and Perry in sublime touch, early wickets will be Pakistan’s top priority.

2. Pakistan’s spin attack: Nashra Sandhu and Nida Dar’s ability to extract turn could determine how long they stay competitive.

3. Fielding discipline: Dropped catches and misfields have cost Pakistan in earlier matches; improvement is non-negotiable.

4. Middle-order resilience: Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner provide Australia with depth that could prove decisive if early wickets fall.

What’s at Stake

For Pakistan, this fixture represents a final opportunity to revive their World Cup hopes. A win against the defending champions would not only break a historic losing streak but also inject much-needed confidence into the squad.

For Australia, maintaining momentum is key. A commanding victory here would reinforce their credentials as the title favourites and set them up perfectly for the knockout stages.

As both teams battle under the Sri Lankan sun, fans are eager to see whether Pakistan can challenge Australia’s supremacy or if Healy’s side will once again showcase why they remain the most dominant force in women’s cricket.