The match, which will be the fourth of the tournament, could have big implications on the outcome of Group 2, with India starting the World Cup as one of the favourites to reach the final in a fortnight’s time.
A triumph for the India U19 Women in South Africa last month is a positive omen for India, with youngsters Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh set to feature for the senior side after inspiring the U19s to victory.
“We’re really happy that our under-19 team did really well, and we are also looking forward to our own campaign,” captain Harmanpreet Kaur said.
“The winning momentum has started. We also want to continue with that.”
But the world’s fourth-ranked side are likely to be without one of their star batters, with opener Smriti Mandhana expected to sit out the first game with a finger injury.
For Pakistan, the challenge of facing their higher-ranked neighbours in front of what is expected to be a packed crowd in Cape Town is something that captain Bismah Maroof wants her team to embrace.
“I think (the goal) is just to play to your potential on the day. I think it’s a very different venue and a different situation, a different scenario we are in. So we’d like to give our best and let’s hope for the best for the result.
“For us, I think the players will take this as a normal match, but of course, the expectations are more on this match.
The Squads
India:
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Radha Yadav, Renuka Thakur, Anjali Sarvani, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey.
Reserves: Sabbhineni Meghana, Sneh Rana, Meghna Singh.
Pakistan:
Bismah Maroof (c), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Sadaf Shamas, Fatima Sana, Javeria Wadood, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan.
Travelling Reserves: Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz.
Group 1
Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka
Group 2
England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, West Indies
The Venue
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful venues in the world, being overlooked by Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak
It is a regular venue for Test matches, ODIs and T20Is, while also being the home of the Cape Cobras which play in the Sunfoil Series, Momentum 1 Day Cup and RamSlam Pro20 competitions.
The cricket ground opened in 1888 and is close to Newlands Stadium, which is a rugby union and football venue.
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