The host nation has looked wobbly during the early stages of the tournament, having started as the resounding title favourite.

Meg Lanning's side suffered an upset opening loss to India, and they were in trouble at 3-10 against Sri Lanka on Monday before recovering for the win.

Australia must beat Bangladesh and New Zealand to have a chance of reaching the semi-finals.

The men's ODI team had a similarly nervous moment early in the 2015 World Cup when they lost to New Zealand by one wicket in a thriller at Eden Park.

Cummins, who was in the squad but only played two games in that tournament, said the defeat ultimately proved to be beneficial.

"It was good, in a way, to be knocked down a peg and think we're not going to just turn up and win this tournament," he said.

"I think home support, yes it might come with added pressure but you've seen in 2011, India won the World Cup, we won a home World Cup (in 2015) and now England have won a home World Cup.

"I think it's an advantage, you've just got to embrace it.

"You might get a couple of detractors, but most of the 25 million Aussies are right behind you and you've just got to look at it like that."

Members of the Australian men's T20 squad on tour in South Africa, including Alyssa Healy's husband Mitchell Starc, have watched their female counterparts with interest whenever the time difference has allowed them to do so.

"We were following it on the team bus yesterday from the airport back to the hotel," Cummins said in Cape Town.

"There was a few nervous watchers going on in that run chase. But they got us home which was good."

Australian Associated Press