Team Australia booked its spot in the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. In a thriller match played on Sunday evening in the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Indian faced defeat at the hands of the defending champions.
Team India’s future in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 hangs in the air for now. The match outcome of Monday’s duel between Pakistan and New Zealand will determine in the Harmanpreet led team will move on in the championship or not.
It doesn’t help that India’s net run rate fell to 0.322. although Australian captain Alyssa Healy was out of the match owing to an injury, yet the Aussies played a great match and ensured their spot in the semis. All eyes are now on Pakistan, as India could go on in the tournament only if team Pakistan are able to defeat the White Ferns.
Australia won the toss and chose to bat in the first innings. They were off to a rocky start with Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham failing to score in double digits. India’s Renuka Singh bowled to bring India in an advantageous position, but Grace Harris, who had replaced Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath, built a 62-run partnership to give Australia the needed boost.
Grace scored 40 off 41 and Tahlia made 32 runs off 26 balls. But Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav successfully stopped these set batters by taking their wickets.
Then came Ellyse Perry who scored 32 runs off 23 balls. Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland helped team Australia score a decent total of 151 for eight at the end of the first innings.
It was India’s turn to chase a strong target on a tricky pitch and it did not make a strong start. Although Shafali Verma looked in form scoring 20 runs off 13 balls but she lost her wicket to Ash Gardner removed her. Experienced player, Smriti Mandhana was cleaned up by Sophie Molineux for six runs. Young batter Jemimah Rodrigues made 16 runs off 12 balls but wicket-keeper Megan Schutt dismissed her.
Australia booked its semi’s spot in the 11th over of the Indian innings. With seven overs left, the pressure was on Deepti and Harmanpreet Kaur to pull India out and mark a win.
Megan Schutt bowled a strong over giving away just one run in the 17th over, while the required run rate was at 10. India required to make 40 runs in the last three overs. Harmanpreet scored a half century in 44 balls but lost her wicket in the last over.
Australia picked Sutherland to bowl the final over. The remaining India order fell like a house of cards in the last over. Four wickets fell and put India under pressure. Sutherland bowled out Pooja Vastrakar and Radha. Shreyanka and Arundhati Reddy got run out and team India folded their innings at 142 for nine wickets, making Australia the winners.
