ICC women's World Cup: Australia has a battle on its hands

Sydney, Mar. 15 (ANI): If the Australian women cricket team doesn't resurrect its batting and bowling frailties, it will be eliminated from the women's cricket World Cup.

After its 16-run loss to India on Saturday, Australia will have to rely on the success of weaker nations. The loss to India is only Australia's seventh in 66 World Cup matches.

Wins in their two remaining Super Sixes matches against Pakistan on Monday and England on Thursday probably won't be enough to guarantee the defending champion and host nation a place in the March 22 final, Fox Sports reports.

Instead, Australia must hope that the winner of the crunch clash between India and New Zealand on Tuesday loses their final game on Thursday to unfancied West Indies or Pakistan respectively.

Even if that happens, Australia would still need to have a superior run rate to any other teams level on two losses.

"Obviously it's very disappointing, but we have to try and play as best we can in the two remaining games. We just need to go back to the basics and start doing them well and we'll give England a good run for their money. Whatever happens, it's probably out of our control at the moment," Australia captain Karen Rolton said.

Rolton rued her bowlers' inability against India to bowl to one side of the wicket and was also looking for bigger partnerships.

"We need to just concentrate on working one side of the wicket so Karen is able to set fields for that. Our batting, just (needs) to get some partnerships happening," Australia fast bowler Rene Farrell said.

Australia has only played Pakistan twice and recorded massive victories in those matches, both of which were played back in 1997.

Rolton is the only current Australian player to have participated in the two blowouts.

In the first game in Melbourne, Australia scored 3-397 and bowled Pakistan out for just 23. Nine months later, in Hyderabad, Pakistan was dismissed for just 27.

While Pakistan has improved since then, they are not expected to test Australia, though they have recorded victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka in the current tournament.

The next round of Super Sixes competition pits Australia against Pakistan on Monday, while the following day England takes on West Indies and India meet New Zealand in a crunch match-up.

Both those teams have lost just once, both to England who remain the only undefeated side in the eight-team tournament. (ANI)