How can India counter the threat from New Zealand and secure a spot in the Women's T20 World Cup semifinals against Australia?

India found themselves in a precarious position after a disappointing 58-run loss to New Zealand in their first match of the tournament. Needing not just wins, but big victories to secure a spot in the semifinals, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side faced a do-or-die situation. While they couldn't quite achieve the required margin in their match against Pakistan, they bounced back with a dominant performance against Sri Lanka, boosting their net run rate to an impressive +0.576.

The back-to-back wins saw India stand second in the points table behind defending champions Australia (six points with NRR of +2.786), and ahead of New Zealand (four points with NRR of +0.282).

What do India need to qualify for the semifinals?

If India beat Australia: The only way India can guarantee their ticket to the semifinals is if they beat Australia, leaving them with six points. In fact, a win by a margin of 61 runs will see India go past Australia's NRR and finish top of the table.

However, a win by a small margin will leave India in a precarious spot. Three teams have a possibility of finishing on six points, with New Zealand being the third side. Hence, if India do beat Australia, but fail to topple their NRR, their best hope would either be a Pakistan victory in the final Group A match, or a New Zealand win by a small margin.

If India lose to Australia: This would leave India, with just four points at the end of their Group A campaign, desperately hoping for a Pakistan victory against New Zealand. They will be eliminated if Sophie Devine's side wins against Pakistan.

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