Australia Ready to Tackle 'Unknowns' in Women's ODI World Cup 2025, Says McGrath
As the countdown to the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 begins, vice-captain Tahlia McGrath has acknowledged that Australia are preparing to embrace “a little bit of unknowns” in their title defence, despite a well-settled squad and increasing familiarity with subcontinental conditions.
Australia, the defending champions, are currently in India for a three-match ODI series against the hosts — their first international outing since the conclusion of the multi-format Ashes in February. The tour acts as a final tune-up before the World Cup, and McGrath believes the team’s flexibility and depth will be crucial in adapting to the varied and, at times, unfamiliar venues set for the tournament.
Uncharted Territory for All Teams
Though India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the World Cup, several of the venues have rarely — or never — hosted women’s ODIs. This includes the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam, which last staged a women’s ODI in 2014. Navi Mumbai, a late replacement for Bengaluru, has never hosted a women’s 50-over international, while Australia’s group-stage matches in Colombo mark their return to the Premadasa Stadium for the first time since 2016.
“We’ve spent a lot of time over here [in India], played in these conditions a lot,” McGrath said. “But we’re playing in some parts that we’re not very familiar with. It’s about learning, adapting, being flexible, and communicating well as a group because it is a little bit foreign to us.”
Head coach Shelley Nitschke has reportedly sought insights from Australia’s men’s team, especially regarding playing conditions in Colombo, where spin is expected to play a major role. The men's team played two spin-heavy ODIs there earlier this year.
Confidence in Squad Stability
Despite the venue-related challenges, McGrath expressed confidence in Australia's experienced and cohesive squad, which has remained largely unchanged in recent years.
“We’ve been pretty settled with our squad for quite a while now,” she noted. “We’ve got so much talent, so much depth over here that it doesn’t really matter what team we throw out or what batting order — we’re in pretty good hands.”
Australia currently has 17 players touring India, with 15 to be named in the final World Cup squad. The series against India is being seen as a chance to test combinations and provide opportunities to newer players like uncapped wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum and allrounder Charli Knott.
Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, recovering from knee surgery, is not expected to feature in the India series but is on track to return in time for the World Cup.
Motivation High After T20 World Cup Exit
With a shot at becoming the first team since 1988 to defend the Women's ODI World Cup title, McGrath said the team remains motivated — particularly after last year's disappointing semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup.
“An ODI World Cup is special — probably the pinnacle,” she said. “For the players that were in Dubai, it adds that bit of motivation. Not a nice feeling the way we exited. And then the extra little bit of motivation as well — we want to be the first team in a while to go back-to-back [in the] ODI World Cup.”
Australia’s ODI series against India begins this Sunday in New Chandigarh — another venue the team is unfamiliar with — as they continue their preparations for what promises to be a challenging but potentially historic World Cup campaign.