India vs Australia Women’s T20 World Cup Final Highlights: Meg Lanning’s side beat India by 85 runs to win the Women’s T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Chasing a huge total of 185, India got off to a horrible start losing in-form opener Shafali Verma in the first over. The wickets kept on falling as Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur departed in the powerplay overs. Taniya Bhatia went off the field too after getting hit on the helmet. Deepti Sharma (33), Veda Krishnamurthy (19) and concussion substitute Richa Ghosh (18) contributed with cameos but could not help India get close to the target. The wickets kept falling as India got all out for 99 runs with five balls to go. Megan Schutt took four wickets in the innings. Australia defending the World Champions title and won the tournament for the fifth time in history.
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Earlier, Australian skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and elected to bat first. Australia got off to a terrific start as openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney put-up a 50-run stand in the powerplay overs putting India under pressure. Healy went on to score her 12th T20I fifty. She scored 75 runs from 39 deliveries before losing her wicket to Radha Yadav. Mooney went on to score 78 runs from 54 balls as she carried her bat. Australia posted a record-breaking mammoth total of 184 for four wickets.
Squads:
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia(w), Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh
Australia: Alyssa Healy(w), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning(c), Jess Jonassen, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Delissa Kimmince, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Erin Burns, Annabel Sutherland
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I'm just proud of this group. We have had ups and downs. To put this kind of performance on the biggest day is outstanding. There was a lot of expectations from us. We were hoping to be there. To get here was a significant achievement. We had to change our tactics quickly, had to execute on the big stage. I knew she's (Schutt) going to perform well. I'd like to thank all the support staff, to family and friends. And, also to the fans, I'm happy to play in front of you.
The way we played in the league stages, it was outstanding. It was unfortunate to drop those catches today. Upcoming 1.5 years is important. The future is good for us, we need to trust ourselves. You have to keep learning. The first game was very good, it gave us a lot of confidence. We spent a lot of time together, unfortunate for us not to win today. We have to keep working hard. We are in the right line, every year we are improving. We need to play with more focus. Sometimes, we are not able to give our best. This year we are hoping for some more games in the Women's T20 Challenge. That tournament is very important. Hopefully, we do get more players.
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"The crowd has been amazing right throughout the tournament, I'm lost for words. I think we stuck to our processes, if it wasn't your day someone else chipped in. We sort of knew what went wrong against India in the first game and we worked on our plans accordingly. Everyone did pretty well, and we had the support of 87000 people. I like to challenge myself and find new ways to be the best in the world. We have great support around us and I've been very fortunate. I'll keep going along as long as I can. I'd love to take the gloves, but I'm not that bad in the outfield either." Beth Mooney, the highest run-scorer of the tournament.
"It was unbelievable, thank you everyone. You can't wipe out the smile out of my face. It's the nature of how I play, just needed a little bit of luck. Just went out there and enjoyed my time. Mooney is sensational. She got off strike and let me do my thing. We are having a lot of fun together," Alyssa Healy in the post-match presentation.
Another aerial shot and another wicket falls. India are all out for 99 with five more balls to go. Megan Schutt gets her fourth wicket. Australia beat India by 85 runs and win the title for the fifth time.
And here's another one. Radha Yadav departs trying to hit the ball a long way. Beth Mooney takes another catch. IND W - 97/9 after 18.1 overs
The concussion substitute Richa Ghosh departs after scoring 18 runs on her World Cup debut. Megan Schutt adds another wicket to her kitty. IND W - 96/8 after 17.3 overs
Excellent catching from Beth Mooney once again. Australia have not made one single mistake in the field today. Shikha Pandey departs after scoring just a single. Megan Schutt gets another wicket. IND W - 92/7 after 17.1 overs
Excellent catch from Beth Mooney diving forward. Deepti Sharma departs after scoring 33 runs from 35 games. First wicket from Nicola Carey in the final. IND - 88/6 after 16.1 overs
Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma are constantly looking for boundaries but are struggling to get any. Miscues here and there and singles keep coming. IND W - 88/5 after 16 overs
Deepti Sharma is looking for boundaries on every delivery. Deepti manages one through an outside edge. Meanwhile, exceptional fielding from Australia. It is just a formality now. Australia have another World Cup trophy in the bag. IND W - 76/5 after 14 overs
Richa Ghosh gives Indian fans something to cheer for with an inside out boundary to open her account. She ends the over with another good shot. It could have gone for a boundary but brilliant fielding near the ropes saves it. IND W - 67/5 after 13 overs
Richa Ghosh becomes the first concussion substitute to play in a World Cup final (men or women). Ghosh plays three dot deliveries to start with. IND W - 58/5 after 12 overs
Veda Krishnamurthy's inning comes to an end. Krishnamurthy went for a big shot but could not hit it over the mid off fielder. She departs for 19 from 24 deliveries. IND W - 58/5 after 11.3 overs
Taniya Bhatia has been diagnosed with a concussion and will take no further part in the game. Youngster Richa Ghosh replaces her in the side. Meanwhile, Nicola Carey back into the attack. Just 5 runs from the over. IND W - 56/4 after 11 overs
Only a miracle inning can get India close to the target now. Veda Krishnamurthy and Deepti Sharma have managed to steady the ship but it needs to run at full steam from now on otherwise this run chase will go down. IND W - 51/4 after 10 overs
A boundary for India after the sixth over. Veda Krishnamurthy uses the pace of the delivery and guides it past the short third fielder for a boundary. Meanwhile, the required run rate has gone over 12 runs per over and nearing 13. IND - 46/4 after 9 overs
Dot ball, dot ball and more dot balls. Veda Krishnamurthy feels the scoreboard pressure. Just two singles from Sophie Molineux's second over. India are losing the plot in this run chase with the required run rate nearing 12 runs per over. IND W -34/4 after 7 overs
Another wicket falls! This is a collapse of epic proportions. Harmanpreet Kaur departed after hitting a boundary off the previous delivery. Kaur was caught at the boundary by Ashleigh Gardener. The Indian run chase is in shambles. The big game pressure gets to them. IND W - 30/4 after 5.4 overs
No boundary from Delissa Kimmince's first over. Deepti Sharma managed to pull one in the gap but could get only a couple of runs. Kimmince falters only once as shes bowls a wide delivery. Poor start for India in the powerplay overs. IND W - 26/3 after 4 overs
Deepti Sharma gets a boundary first ball. Just 5 runs from Sophie Molineux's over. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is yet to get off the mark. The required run rate has gone over 10 runs per over already. IND W - 23/3 after 4 overs
Once again, Smriti Mandhana got a good start but threw it away with an unnecessary shot. Mandhana plays it straight to mid off fielder Nicola Carey. India are in deep, deep trouble in this huge run chase. IND W - 18/3 after 3.1 overs
Smriti Mandhana hits the first boundary of the innings. Pitched up and wide by Megan Schutt, Mandhana hits it over the covers for a boundary. She follows it up with a cut shot past the point fielder for another boundary. Harmanpreet Kaur in the middle after Jemimah Rodrigues' wicket. The birthday girl has not made an impact with the bat in the tournament so far. She plays two dot deliveries. IND W - 18/2 after 3 overs
Jemimah Rodrigues gets out trying to accelerate early on in the innings. Rodrigues tries to take on Jess Jonassen but finds the mid on fielder Nicola Carey. A two-ball duck for the youngster. India in deep trouble in this run chase already. IND W - 8/2 after 2 overs
Taniya Bhatia gets hit on the helmet by Jess Jonassen. Bhatia is out of the field for some concussion tests. Jemimah Rodrigues takes her place in the middle. A nervous start for India in this big run chase of 185.
The pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have arrived in the middle for the Indian chase. Shafali starts off in a similar fashion, but India's star player has to return to the pavilion in the third ball of the first over. A good length delivery, marginally wide of the off stumps, and Shafali gets a fine edge, which is collected sharply by Alexa Healy. The first wicket falls and India are in danger. IND W - 2/1 (0.3 overs)
Radha Yadav bowls the final over of the innings. Three singles off the first three balls. Nicola Carey went for a pull shot on the fourth delivery and gets a boundary beating Jemimah Rodrigues in the deep. One more single from the over. Good comeback from India in the final overs after the carnage-filled inning of Alyssa Healy. AUS W - 184/4 after 20 overs
This is the highest score by a side in Women's T20 World Cup final.
Poonam Yadav finally manages to get a wicket. Rachel Haynes hit the ball on to the stumps trying to hit Poonam square of the wicket. First wicket for the leg-spinner in this contest. Nicola Carey comes out to bat. She plays a dot ball. AUS W - 176/4 after 18.5 overs
It seemed like Shikha Pandey was making a comeback but Beth Mooney managed to get a boundary by playing an awkward improvisation of the scoop shot. 10 runs from Pandey's last over. She has leaked 52 runs in her quota of four overs. AUS W - 167/3 after 18 overs
Deepti Sharma strikes again. Ashleigh Gardener comes down the ground but misses the ball completely. An easy stumping from Taniya Bhatia. Rachel Haynes is the new batter in. AUS - 156/3 after 17 overs
Meg Lanning gets way too across the line and hits it straight to the square leg fielder. Deepti Sharma gets her first wicket. No celebrations from her. It has been a tough day for an Indian bowler out there. Lanning departs for 16. India will look to keep this score below 200. AUS - 154/2 after 16.2 overs
Beth Mooney has anchored this innings while Alyssa Healy did the heavylifting. Mooney gets to her ninth half-century from just 41 deliveries. 7 runs from Poonam Yadav's over. AUS W - 142/1 after 15 overs
The boundaries just keep on coming. Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning get one boundary each from Deepti Sharma's third over. Harmanpreet Kaur is running out of options here. Deepti has leaked 35 runs already. AUS - 135/1 after 14 overs
Meg Lanning gets her first boundary despite an excellent effort from Jemimah Rodrigues near the ropes. Rajeshwari Gayakwad finishes her spell with a six-run over. AUS W - 123/1 after 13 overs
Radha Yadav finally gets the much-needed breakthrough for India. Alyssa Healy goes for the big shot again but this time finds the long-on fielder Rajeshwari Gayakwad. A whirlwind inning comes to an end. Healy scored 75 runs from 39 deliveries including seven fours and five towering sixes. Good over from Radha, just three runs and a wicket from it. AUS W - 117/1 after 12 overs
4,1,6,6,6,1! Alyssa Healy keeps on hitting them out of the park. Hat-trick of sixes! Healy is making a mockery of the Indian bowling lineup. Healy has already went past the highest individual score in the Women's World Cup final. 23 runs from the over. Shikha Pandey has leaked 42 runs from her three overs already. AUS W - 114/0 after 11 overs
Alyssa Healy gets to her half-century with a six. Healy has been exceptional today, using her feet to get to the pitch of the ball against Indian spinners. A big score in store here. Radha Yadav introduced into the attack but gets a beating straight away. 12 runs from the over. AUS W - 91/0 after 10 overs
Beth Mooney has been doing the damage from the other end while Alyssa Healy has picked the Indian bowling apart with her big-hitting. Poonam Yadav has not looked threatening at all so far. AUS W - 79/0 after 9 overs
Alyssa Healy has gone absolutely berserk! There is no boundary in the world Healy cannot cross with those towering sixes. Two huge sixes from Rajeshwari Gayakwad's third over. That will dent her confidence. AUS - 70/0 after 8 overs
The impact player Poonam Yadav into the attack. Slow, loopy deliveries from the leg-spinner. Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney seemed satisfied while knocking the ball around for singles. AUS W - 54/0 after 7 overs
Rajeshwari Gayakwad slows down proceedings. She troubles Alyssa Healy from the one spinning away mixed with the deliveries darted into the wicket. Just two singles from the left-arm spinner's over. AUS W - 49/0 after 6 overs
Shikha Pandey back in the attack. Sloppy fielding costs India again. Poonam Yadav misfields one at the short third. Beth Mooney makes full use of under-pressure India. Two boundaries from the over from Mooney's bat. AUS W - 47/0 after 5 overs
Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad into the attack. Gayakwad beats Beth Mooney on the first delivery but the left-handed batter hits a boundary off the second one, an inside out shot. DROPPED! Gayakwad drops a return catch. Both the openers have been dropped already. Just one more single from the over. AUS W - 37/0 after 4 overs
Good field placing from Harmanpreet Kaur as she has a long on and deep mid-wicket in place for Alyssa Healy. After giving five runs from five balls, Deepti Sharma let the pressure get the better of her as she pitches one on the pads. 9 runs from the over. Not an ideal start for India in the powerplay overs as Australia are scoring at 10.66 runs per over. AUS W - 32/0 after 3 overs
Milestone for Alyssa Healy as she completes 2,000 T20I runs with a boundary off Shikha Pandey's delivery. Healy gets another boundary as she hits a short and wide delivery over covers fielder Shafali Verma for a boundary. The opener has got Australia off to a terrific start here in the final. AUS W - 23/0 after 2 overs
Pressure on Deepti Sharma straight away. Alyssa Healy comes down the wicket, hits the ball on the full, over the short mid-wicket fielder for a boundary. She gets a single off the next delivery, Healy with a similar shot. Her husband and Australian men's team fast bowler Mitchell Starc is in the stadium as well to watch the final. Beth Mooney gets off the mark off the first ball with a single towards long on. Healy gets another boundary. She stays back in the crease and guides the faster delivery past backward point fielder. Shafali Verma falters as well as she drops Healy's catch on the fifth delivery. Healy rubs salts on the wounds with a boundary off the next ball. AUS W - 14/0 after 1 over
Once again, Harmanpreet Kaur has trusted off-spinner Deepti Sharma to open the bowling for India. HERE WE GO!
Harmanpreet Kaur leads India to their first-ever T20 World Cup final.
The teams are on the field for their respective national anthems
Katy Perry performs on Women's day at the MCG
Ian Bishop says that the pitch is hard and will favours the seamers. Nasser Hussain feels that the ball will come on to the bat nicely.
Harmanpreet Kaur: My mom's sitting somewhere in the stands. We are quite confident while chasing, hopefully the bowlers restrict them. We are trying to staying together.
Meg Lanning: We are going to have a bat, looks a good wicket. Crowd's exciting, looking forward to it. Every game has been close, but we need to be at our best today. Hopefully it's a great game. We are going in with the same team tonight.
AUS XI: Alyssa Healy(w), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning(c), Jess Jonassen, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Delissa Kimmince, Megan Schutt
IND XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Taniya Bhatia(w), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Veda Krishnamurthy, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
Australian skipper Meg Lanning wins toss, elects to bat first.
For India, Shafali Verma has scored 161 runs from four matches. Verma is yet to score a half-century in the tournament. In Australian batting lineup, Beth Mooney is the highest run scorer with 181 runs from five matches. She is followed by wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, who has scored the same number of runs as Shafali from five games.
Katy Perry meets the Indian squad ahead of the final clash
Hello and welcome to India vs Australia Women's T20 World Cup final live blog. The weather forecast for the day looks promising as there are no signs of rain interrupting the game. Stay tuned for more updates.