India beat Ireland to secure semi-final spot

THE Indian Women’s cricket team progressed to the semi-final ICC Women’s T20 World Cup after beating Ireland by 52 runs yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

India last made the semi-finals of the Women’s World T20 in 2010. Since then, they’ve been rather ordinary. They lost all three games in 2012, lost out on net run rate to West Indies in 2014, won just one out of their four games in 2016.

However, things are much different this time around, as they recorded their third consecutive win to tie with Australia on six points in Group B.
India have put themselves in a fantastic position at the halfway stage of the game, piling up 145-6, after they were asked to bat first by Ireland.

Mithali Raj 51 off 56 balls, with four fours and a six anchored the innings. Raj, who survived a drop chance early in her innings and Smriti Mandhana, played themselves in before attacking the Ireland bowlers.

With quick running between the wickets, complemented by a number of boundaries, the openers laid a solid foundation.
Ireland fielding, too, aided India’s cause as they eased their way forward without much discomfort, to add 67 in ten overs until the 18-year-old Mandhana was bowled by right-arm medium-fast Kimberley Garth. The left-hand batter hit a 29-ball 33, with four fours and a six.

Jemimah Rodrigues then joined the right-handed Raj, and continue chipping away at their opponents. The pair had taken India to 102 when medium pacer Laura Delany had Rodrigues (18), stumped to end the partnership.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, who became the first Indian woman cricketer to score a century in T-20 Internationals in her side’s match against New Zealand earlier in the tournament, then smashed a second-ball six off Eimear Richardson but perished next ball, taken at the deep extra cover boundary.

Veda Krishnamurthy joined Raj, but her stay was also short after she was bowled by medium pacer Lucy O’Reilly. Raj, the experienced Indian batter brought up her 17th T20I fifty off 54 balls before her innings came to an end, caught at the wicket off Garth.

Thereafter, the Indian bowlers and fielders put up an incompatible show. They were bang on with their plans and despite not bowling their opponents out, they restricted them to 93-8. The spinners did the bulk of the work and ensured Ireland never stood a chance even to give India a minor scare.

Only opener Clare Shillington (23), and a top score of 33 from Isobel Joyce, reached double figures. Radha Yadav (3-25) and Deepti Sharma (2-15) were the best bowlers for India.
Meanwhile, the Indian captain said that while they have qualified for the semis, there are still a few things that they need to sit down and talk about.

“It is a short format. Sometimes your main bowler might not have a great day. We need to improve on our batting and bowling also. We did not bat according to our plan and the same with our bowling. We have to be aggressive all the time if you have to win against Australia,” she said after the game.
India and Australia clash tomorrow.