At 85/3 after 12 overs, India had Australia exactly where they wanted them. Defending 170 at Lord’s in a must-win game for a place in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co had the favourites in a chokehold with the required rate climbing towards 11 an over, and Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner forced to rebuild rather than attack.
Then came Radha Yadav with the 13th over of the chase.
The left-arm spinner, who returned with figures of 3/28 in the previous match against Bangladesh, leaked 17 runs as Perry and Gardner finally broke free. Gardner drove and pulled with authority while Perry kept the scoreboard ticking, the over releasing all the pressure India had painstakingly built till then. The Indian skipper looked livid, the required rate dropped rapidly, Australia’s dugout found belief, and suddenly it was India searching for answers.
Perry and Gardner never relinquished that momentum. Their 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket came off just 57 balls but was built in two distinct phases. Initially content with rotating strike against Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani, they targeted the loose deliveries once Radha’s expensive over changed the game.
Charani gave away 16 runs in the 15th over, Shafali Verma then conceded 12 in her next over before Renuka Singh Thakur returned to be hit for 17, including Gardner’s straight six as Perry reached her half-century.
Deepti, who had conceded just 19 runs in her first three overs, could not produce the goods late in the innings as the Australian pair added the finishing touches to the chase.
Until Radha’s over, India’s bowlers had executed their plans superbly. Renuka struck with the second ball by trapping Georgia Voll LBW after a successful review, Charani removed Phoebe Litchfield for 24, and when Deepti dismissed Beth Mooney to become the leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket, India were on top at 68/3.
India’s fielding matched the bowling effort, with Richa Ghosh tidy behind the stumps, and safe catching and energetic work in the ring preventing boundaries. But one over undid 12 overs of disciplined effort.
Although Charani eventually dismissed Perry for 56, it came with Australia needing only a handful of runs, and the six-time champions completed the chase with an over to spare to knock India out of the tournament, allowing South Africa to enter the semifinals.
Harmanpreet shines
Harmanpreet had looked scratchy through much of the tournament. Runs had come in patches, timing had deserted her, and fluency had been hard to find. But on Sunday, with India’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign hanging in the balance against familiar rivals Australia, the captain smashed a 27-ball 56 to propel India to 170/4.
For much of the innings, India appeared headed towards a sub-par total. Australia’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding had kept the scoring in check, leaving Harmanpreet with plenty to do at the death. She responded with a final flourish, taking apart Sophie Molineux in the last over with three successive sixes.
She first charged down the ground before stepping across to clear long-off and then hammered another over extra cover that burst through Litchfield’s hands for six. Although she holed out off the next ball, the late assault proved pivotal in lifting India to a competitive total.
It was another reminder that when everything is on the line against Australia, Harmanpreet has a habit of delivering.
Walking in after Smriti Mandhana’s dismissal with India needing to accelerate, Harmanpreet initially found it difficult to break free. Australia continued to squeeze through disciplined lines and excellent fielding, forcing India to work hard for boundaries.
The India skipper gradually found her rhythm, cutting Annabel Sutherland through backward point before lofting Georgia Wareham inside-out over extra cover and driving Sophie Molineux through the covers. There were a couple of streaky boundaries, but she increasingly took control of the innings as she picked her moments to attack.
Alongside Jemimah Rodrigues, she added 64 runs in 45 balls for the third wicket. Rodrigues rotated strike smartly before being retired out in the final over as India searched for one last burst, leaving Harmanpreet to deliver exactly what was required.
Earlier, Smriti and Shafali once again provided India with a solid platform through a 66-run opening stand. India began cautiously at 16/0 after three overs before Shafali took on Ashleigh Gardner with a four and a six in the fourth over.
She continued the attack in Gardner’s next over with another six and four before Molineux broke the partnership by dismissing the Rohtak girl for 34.
Brief Scores: India 170/4 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 56, Smriti Mandhana 38) lost to Australia 172/4 in 19 overs (Ellyse Perry 56, Ashleigh Gardner 53 not out; Sree Charani 2/32) by six wickets
Australia's Phoebe Litchfield and India's wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh in action during the Women's T20 World Cup cricket match between Bangladesh and South Africa at Lord's Cricket Ground. (PA via AP)
Share
