Beth Mooney: It would be nice if we could put 190 on the board. We have two changes. Laura Wolvaardt comes in for Tahuhu, Veda also misses out and Mannat Kashyap replaces her. You got to be feeling you can win the game no matter what situation are in. It is a long tournament in some ways and shorter in others, hope we get it right tonight.
Alyssa Healy: We are going to have a bowl. They have all played pretty similar. But chasing looks more comfortable for the teams. Hopefully much of the same, that was the blueprint we want to play. Chamari comes in for Tahlia McGrath.
UP Warriorz have won the toss and have opted to field
Pitch and Conditions: "Pitch no. 9 has had the most swing and that is the pitch we are playing on today. There is on green grass. But the conditions are getting cooler and that might play a part. One side square is 48 meters and the other is 61," informs Natalie Germanos.
18:30 Local Time, 12:30 GMT: Today we have UP Warriorz taking on Gujarat Giants. The Giants are in desperate need of a win after having lost their opening two games. Both the defeats were quite convincing and that would be worrying, the batters mainly have let them down, posting below par totals in both games and the overseas players have also not delivered. Will they turn their campaign around today? The Warriorz were in a similar position, two losses after first two games but best defending champions Mumbai Indians in their previous outing and come into this fixture with a lot of confidence. Can they make it back to back victories? Toss and teams coming up.. Stay tuned
Preview
Gujarat Giants seem to be carrying forward the baggage of last season where they finished at the bottom of the table. Having lost both their games so far, the manner of the defeats will concern the team management as the Giants were thoroughly outplayed by Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both games had a similar template with the Giants asked to bat first, only to finish with an extremely under-par total. Losing a plethora of wickets to the new ball has meant that the early damage has been irreparable. With a thin roster in terms of starpower, the onus is on the Aussie trio of captain Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield and Ashleigh Gardner to step up.
UP Warriorz began with a nervy defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore before being ambushed by the Delhi Capitals. However, Alyssa Healy's side bounced back in style with a crushing win over defending champions Mumbai Indians. The form of Kiran Navgire augurs well for the batting unit that still hasn't had sizeable contributions from Healy or Tahlia McGrath. The spin-heavy bowling attack has done a reasonable job but the batting will hope for more consistency if they are to continue their winning run. Warriorz are riding high on confidence after the win against MI but they'll know that a desperate side like GG can be a slippery opponent.
When: 1st March 2024, 19:30 local
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
What to expect: As the surfaces get reused, they are bound to get drier, which means that the early movement for new-ball bowlers in the first half of the innings may not be as pronounced. However, the chasing bias could continue with the track getting better to bat on in the second half.
Team news
UP Warriorz
Having finally opened their account with a comfortable win, the team management won't be tempted to make any changes. A forced change, though, is on the cards with Vrinda Dinesh unlikely to feature due to an injured shoulder. Her injury is what arguably paved the way for Navgire's promotion. Dinesh's potential absence could mean a return for Gouher Sultana, strengthening an already spin-heavy unit.
Two heavy defeats in as many games does warrant changes but the Giants don't have much depth in their squad to choose from. The batting failures may tempt them to draft in Laura Wolvaardt but that would mean leaving out an overseas pacer, possibly Lea Tahuhu who has looked lacklustre in both the games. It would mean the addition of an Indian pacer and given the lack of experience among local players, the bowling attack will be thinner. Promising all-rounder Shabnam Md Shakil, 15-year-old hailing from Vizag, could be thrown into the mix for a WPL debut.
"Will have to go back to the drawing board. I don't believe in form in this format, if we start scoring runs in the next two games, then everyone will forget the first two." - Beth Mooney is clear about where the problem lies with her team
"I was playing the ball on merit, that's the plan. I like to play to my strengths and that's what I do." - Kiran Navgire reveals her simple mantra for causing destruction
Gujarat Giants
UP Warriorz
