The ICC Women's World Cup semi-final between India and Australia faces a significant rain threat in Navi Mumbai, with tournament rules stating Australia would advance to the final if both the scheduled match and its reserve day are washed out. The highly anticipated match is set for Thursday, October 30, at the DY Patil Stadium, but forecasts predict light rain and heavy cloud cover throughout the day^[1][2][3]. This scenario puts India's tournament hopes in jeopardy as Australia secured a higher position in the group stage points table^[1][2][4]. ### Reserve Day Offers Second Chance The International Cricket Council (ICC) has allocated a reserve day for the semi-final, scheduled for Friday, October 31, to ensure a result^[1][2][4]. Officials will make every effort to complete the match on the original day, including reducing overs if necessary^[2][5][6]. If rain interrupts play on Thursday, the match will resume on the reserve day from the exact point it stopped, not restarting from the beginning^[1][7][8]. For a result to be declared in an ODI, both teams must bat for a minimum of 20 overs^[1][4][9]. ### Australia Holds Group Stage Advantage If rain prevents play on both the scheduled match day and the reserve day, the ICC rules are clear: the team that finished higher in the group stage points table will progress to the final^[1][2][7]. In this specific semi-final, Australia finished at the top of the group standings with 13 points from seven matches^[10]. India, in contrast, secured the fourth position with seven points and three wins^[10]. This means Australia would automatically advance to the final, eliminating India from the tournament without a ball being bowled if the weather does not cooperate^[1][5][3][9]. ### Persistent Rain Threatens Knockouts Navi Mumbai has experienced unpredictable weather, with meteorological reports indicating a high chance of precipitation for Thursday^[3][10]. AccuWeather predicts a 90 percent chance of rain during the game^[7][10]. The DY Patil Stadium has already seen rain disruptions, including India's last group stage match against Bangladesh being washed out^[7][11]. Overall, six matches in the tournament have ended without a result due to washouts, and three others used the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method to determine a winner^[9]. This highlights the significant impact weather has had on the Women's World Cup 2025. ### Implications for Competing Nations For India, a complete washout would be a devastating end to their World Cup campaign, as they would be knocked out due to their lower group stage ranking^[3][10]. The team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has shown resilience but now faces a challenge outside their control^[3]. Australia, the defending champions, would benefit from the rule, moving closer to their eighth World Cup title^[10]. Overcast conditions could also favor pacers like India's Renuka Singh Thakur, offering early swing under lights, if play does occur^[1]. Both teams are also managing player fitness, with India monitoring Richa Ghosh and Australia potentially missing captain Alyssa Healy, factors that could impact strategies in a rain-affected game^[1][2]. ### Final Also Has Reserve Day The tournament final, scheduled for November 2 in Navi Mumbai, also has a reserve day on November 3^[4][7]. Should both the final and its reserve day be completely washed out by rain, the ICC rules stipulate that the World Cup trophy would be shared between the two finalists^[4][7][9][6]. This policy applies only to the final, not the semi-finals^[9]. The high-stakes semi-final between India and Australia hinges not only on player performance but also on the unpredictable weather in Navi Mumbai.

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