India Women down power-packed Australia by 48 runs
AUSTRALIA Women endured a reality check yesterday, as they suffered a shock 48-run defeat to India in Match 17 of the ICC Women’s World T20 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
It has been a landslide victory, an absolute demolition of a power-packed Australian line-up. India remain undefeated in Group B and top the points table. What began as a battle of equals turned out to be a damp squib in the end with India strolling to a comprehensive victory..
Chasing 168 for victory, Australia reached 119-9 in 19.4 overs. Before the start of the chase, Australia were dealt a major blow with the absence of Alyssa Healy at the top – who was the in-form batter for the Southern Stars.
India will now await the West Indies and England clash today and face the loser of that game in one of the semifinals, while the winner will face Australia in the other semi-final.
At the start of the game it was the player-of-the-match Smriti Mandhana’s show which took the Indians to a more than competitive total of 167-8, the highest World T20 total by any side against Australia.
Mandhana, the belligerent opener took the Aussie bowling apart with some vintage stroke-play, hitting a 55-ball 83 with nine fours and three sixes. It was a much-needed knock for her, a return to form, perhaps at the right time in the tournament.
She found ideal support from Harmanpreet Kaur who produced a ballistic cameo, a 27-ball 43, with three fours and similar number of sixes, to provide the impetus to the innings.
India won the toss and elected to bat, were in a spot of bother, losing the wickets of Taniya Bhatia in the second over of the innings, caught at midwicket off Ashleigh Gardner, and Jemimah Rodrigues off medium pacer Delissa Kimmince, at 49-2.
However, seasoned campaigner Mandhana and Kaur then put on a superlative performance adding 68 runs for the third wicket which virtually shut down the Australians’ earlier dominance.
Both batters hit some delightful strokes all-round the park. They repeatedly found the gaps on the off-side and also hit some glorious shots on the on-side.
The left-handed opener Mandhana brought up her first fifty of the tournament off just 31 balls, but Kaur’s blitz ended soon after. That dismissal did not hamper Mandhana’s attacking instinct, as she continued with her shots without much pressure.
The back end of the innings didn’t go as per plan because India were primed for 180-plus at one point but Australia’s death bowling, Ellyse Perry (3-16), in particular, was superb.
Australia made up for an erratic start with a rush of late wickets, which included Mandhana.
As expected, spin proved to be the undoing of Australia. India needed their spinners to perform if they were to win this one and they delivered big time. Of course, they had the luxury of a competitive total to defend.
They did begin their pursuit of 168 decently with Beth Mooney stepping on the pedal in the Powerplay. But once the Indian spinners were introduced, Australia hit a roadblock as the runs dried up and they lost wickets at crucial intervals.
Ellyse Perry was the top scorer for the Southern Stars with 39 and showed some semblance of a fight. Anuja Patil was the pick of the bowlers for India with three scalps while Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma claimed a wicket each.
