Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, India Women vs Australia Women Semi-final 1: Who won yesterday's match?
Australia Women beat India Women by five runs in Thursday’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final at Newlands in Cape Town. With the close win, the Aussies booked their berth in yet another World Cup final.
Batting first after winning the toss, Australia put up an impressive 172/4 on the board. In the chase, India seemed on track at 132/4 in the 15th over. However, the freak run-out of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (52 off 34) turned the tide in Australia’s favor as the Women in Blue stumbled yet again in a knockout clash.
Chasing 173, India got off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets for 28 runs inside the first four overs.
Shafali Verma (9) was trapped lbw by Megan Schutt as she missed her flick off a length ball. Ashleigh Gardner then got the massive scalp of Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (2). The left-hander was struck right in front of the stumps as she stayed back to an arm ball.
Australia smartly used DRS to get the decision in their favor. Yastika Bhatia was then run-out for 4.
Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues (43 off 24), however, lifted the Women in Blue with a fourth-wicket stand of 69. Both batters looked in complete control during their stay out in the middle.
Rodrigues began her innings with two well-timed fours off Gardner. Harmanpreet also got underway in optimistic fashion, with an elegant four off Darcie Brown through the covers.
The excellent stand ended when Rodrigues attempted to get too cheeky and her ramp off a short ball from Brown ended up as an edge to the keeper. Three fours in a short span of time saw Harmanpreet reach a top-class fifty.
However, she was run-out in extremely unlucky fashion as her bat got stuck in the ground as she came back for a second run.
Richa Ghosh (14) was then caught in the deep off Brown as India began losing their way. Deepti Sharma tried to take the team over the line, but was stranded on 20 not out off 17 as the chasing side finished on 167/8.
Strong batting effort lifts Australia to 172/4
Batting first, Australia Women put up a commanding 172/4 on the board.
Beth Mooney top-scored with 54 off 37, while skipper Meg Lanning (49 off 34) and Ashleigh Gardner (31 off 18) also chipped in with valuable contributions. The Aussies were aided by some poor fielding efforts from India, who dropped key catches.
Openers Mooney and Alyssa Healy began the innings in confident fashion, reaching 43/0 at the end of the powerplay. A smart piece of bowling by Radha Yadav ended the partnership as Healy (25) danced down the track and was beaten in flight.
Richa Ghosh completed the stumping to give her side a much-needed breakthrough.
Off-spinner Sneh Rana, coming in for the ill Pooja Vastrakar, could have had Lanning caught behind for 1. However, Ghosh could not hold on to a catch as the Aussie skipper got a thin edge.
In the next over, Shafali Verma dropped a simple chance at long-on, offered by Mooney off Radha Yadav’s bowling. Thanks to India’s benevolence, Australia were well-placed at 69/1 after 10 overs.
Mooney went on to bring up her half-century with consecutive fours off Shikha Pandey. The pacer, however, dismissed the set batter in the same over as Mooney chipped an off-cutter to Shafali inside the circle.
Gardner then went berserk, smacking four fours in the space of two overs. Her excellent 31-run cameo ended when Deepti Sharma yorked the batter with a loopy delivery that dipped late.
Pandey then cleaned up Grace Harris for 7, but Lanning took on Renuka Singh in the last over. She clobbered the Indian pacer for a four and two sixes to take Australia past 170.
India Women vs Australia Women: Who Won Player of the Match in yesterday's Women's T20 World Cup 2023 Match?
Mooney and skipper Lanning played fine knocks for Australia to give the innings momentum. Gardner shone with a superb all-round effort. After slamming 31 off 18, she claimed two wickets, including the big one of Mandhana.
For India, pacer Pandey impressed with 2/32. Captain Harmanpreet led from the front with a well-compiled half-century, while Rodrigues was at her aggressive best, striking six fours.
Gardner was named Player of the Match for her brilliant all-round effort.