New Delhi: Australia have defeated India by 5 runs to enter yet another finals as they eye the T20 World Cup. The brilliant efforts of Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues went in vain as India was unable to chase 173 in the first semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Bowling efforts by Darcie Brown and Jess Jonassen helped the Aussies to seal the victory.
It was another defeat for India as a World Cup trophy is still a dream for the senior side. Having a poor start after the openers got dismissed and Yastika Bhatia was run out in a horrible mixup, Jemimah and Harmanpreet tried to rekindle the inning. They laid a 69-run partnership to set the stage for India. Rodrigues played an inning of 43 off 24 balls before she got out ramping a short ball by Brown.
Kaur continued with Richa Ghosh and reached her fifty. She was eventually run out as her bat got stuck while she tried to drag it. Captain getting run out in the semis did ring a bell for the Indian fans! Her 52 off 34 will be remembered as an inning by a captain who was hospitalised in the morning but tried her best to lead her team to the finals.
Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana tried to carry the chase, but Australia’s death bowling Ellyse Perry’s dives and catches led the latter into the finals.
In the first inning, Beth Mooney scored a fifty after being dropped by Shafali Verma, while Meg Lanning who was dropped on one by Ghosh went on to provide the right finish with her 49* off 34.
Ashleigh Gardner was awarded the Player of the Match for her cameo of 31 off 18 and 2 for 37. Darcie Brown was phenomenal with her 18/2 which made the difference out there.
However, Harmapreet and India’s fight against all the odds will be remembered like their other knockout games against Australia.
