Australia produced a ruthless performance to knock India out of the Women's T20 World Cup, chasing down a target of 171 with an over and six wickets to spare. The win, powered by a 100-run partnership off 59 balls between Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner, sealed Australia's place in the semi-finals and ended India's hopes of progressing.
Record Chase Seals Victory
India, needing a win to qualify, posted 170 for 4 after a late surge, including three sixes from captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Australia, already through to the semi-finals, experimented with their lineup, leaving out leg-spinner Alana King and giving Perry an over in the powerplay. Despite early setbacks, including the loss of Georgia Voll for a duck and Beth Mooney for 22, Perry and Gardner turned the game. Gardner hit two sixes on the pull and another down the ground, while Perry threaded gaps in the field. The required run rate climbed to over 10 an over, but the pair took 17 runs from a Radha Yadav over and 16 from Sree Charani to bring the target within reach.
India's Hopes Dashed
India's innings was built on a 66-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, but they took almost half the innings to reach that total. Verma was bowled by Sophie Molineux, and Mandhana was run out. Harmanpreet's late hitting, including three sixes in the last two overs, gave India a competitive total, but two of those sixes came from dropped catches by Georgia Wareham and Phoebe Litchfield. Australia's fielding lapses did not prove costly, as Perry and Gardner's partnership ensured victory with ease.
Implications for Semi-Finals
The result also sent South Africa through to the semi-finals, despite a nervy chase against Bangladesh earlier in the day. Australia's dominant performance, even with experimental changes, sends a warning to other semi-finalists. According to match reports, Australia were happy to experiment and still ran down a good team like a freight train. It will take something special to derail them from here.
