Aotearoa White Ferns rolled out their best mahi so far in the World Cup as they dispatched India, now preparing to face Australia on Sunday. Australia appear to be the best team in this World Cup and simmering buzz around the competition will ensure that Aotearoa are boosted by a delightful Wellington audience. Competing, let alone defeating Australia requires Aotearoa to be near their best and promising signs were on display in the win over India.

Batting first, Aotearoa put up 260/9. Amy Satterthwaite led the innings with 75 runs (89sr), while Amelia Kerr scored 50 runs (78sr), Katey Martin Scored 41 runs (80sr), Sophie Devine scored 35 (116sr) and Maddy Green chipped in with 27 runs (75sr). No team in this WC had won chasing 200+ runs prior to this game and India couldn't change that, all out for 198.

Lea Tahuhu took 3w @ 1.70rpo. Amelia Kerr took 3w @ 6.22rpo. Hayley Jensen took 2w @ 4.5rpo. Jess Kerr and Hannah Rowe took a wicket each, plus Frances Mackay was tidy in opening the bowling and playing her role throughout the innings. Top-six batters scored the runs and the two best bowlers took most of the wickets. Aotearoa wins.

There's a different vibe with Mackay and Jensen in the team. Brooke Halliday and Fran Jonas were selected for the first game, then Mackay and Jensen came in to face Bangladesh. Both had immediate impacts as they each took a wicket, backing it up with impressive job-doing performances.

Having Jensen, Tahuhu and Jess Kerr batting ahead of Mackay is all about smacking boundaries. Mackay is the best batter of this group though. Many are seduced by boundary hitting, while singles and twos are proving to be crucial in winning games. Mackay's 13* (118sr) was more runs than the other four bowlers combined (4 runs) and Mackay hit one boundary, flipping deliveries into awkward pockets. Let the best batters face the most deliveries.

Mackay and Jensen switch the vibe into a more experienced, grizzly style. Halliday and Jonas are promising young players who are yet to truly dominate domestic cricket. Mackay made her List-A debut in 2007/8 and Jensen debuted the following summer, fine-tuning their cricket over the years and growing as individuals. This is evident in Blackcaps teams and gives the group a more competitive nature, ready for the niggliest contest.

Jensen never stops smiling and bowls natural out-swing. Mackay may be the funkiest fielder in the competition. Both featured in an improved fielding performance and given how important scoring without boundaries is, fielding's importance increases as these plug up the singles or stop the whiff of a two. Fielding as a weapon is natural for Aotearoa, making it a benchmark for the White Ferns.

Satterthwaite has only hit one century since the start of 2018, but stacks up scores of 50+. This was Satterthwaite's third 50+ score in 2022 (7inns) and while the best way for tail-enders to score runs is running hard, Satterthwaite showcased the type of strokes that make Aotearoa a notable team in this WC. Not every top-order batter in the WC is comfortable combining power with finesse, Aotearoa's top-order have that potential.

Suzie Bates hits powerful shots either side of the wicket. Devine is the best hitter in the world. Kerr is the wahine equivalent of Kane Williamson. Satterthwaite hits over the inner circle. Green plays the best straight shots in Aotearoa. All of them can also lap or steer deliveries past the wicket-keeper, then Martin comes in as the street-sweeper.

A-Kerr now averages 41 in ODI batting. In eight games this year, Kerr has 463 runs @ 92.6avg (1 x 100, 4 x 50) and really likes playing against India. We all know Kerr dominated the series vs India prior to the WC with her bat, now Kerr has two games with 3w against India this year. In 14 games since the start of 2021, Kerr has taken more than 1w three times - twice vs India in 2022.

Tahuhu is Aotearoa's leading wicket-taker in the WC with 6w @ 15.5avg/4.42rpo, currently 2nd for wickets in this WC. What's intriguing for Tahuhu is that she has 14w @ 25avg/3.83rpo against India and 18w @ 40.27avg/5rpo against Australia.

This will be Wellington's first game of the WC, so we only have the general seam-friendly vibe to work with. Aotearoa have adapted nicely under skipper Devine, including not using Tahuhu to open the bowling against India. Maybe the best example will be leaning more into the Kerr sisters and Devine who play their domestic cricket at the Basin Reserve. Maybe it's a full deployment of seam weapons. Maybe there are quick shifts for the bowlers and quirky combinations.

Signs of learning, adapting and being present in the current battle have been evident for Aotearoa. More of that is needed against Australia, especially with bowling/fielding as Australia's batting unit is a wee bit scary.

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Peace and love.