Australia Secures T20 World Cup Semi-Final Spot with Victory Over India

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In a thrilling contest in Sharjah, Australia secured their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with a hard-fought nine-run victory over India. The match showcased a strong performance from Grace Harris, whose anchoring 40 runs laid a solid foundation for the Australian innings. Meanwhile, bowlers Sophie Molineux and Annabel Sutherland each took two wickets, ensuring Australia reached their ninth consecutive semi-final.

Choosing to bat first, Australia faced an early setback when captain Alyssa Healy was ruled out due to a foot injury. Beth Mooney and Grace Harris opened the innings, but the match took a dramatic turn in the third over when India’s Pooja Vastrakar struck. She dismissed both Mooney, caught at point by Radha Yadav, and Georgia Wareham, who was out LBW for a golden duck. Interestingly, Hawk-Eye showed that the ball was missing leg stump, which would have prompted a review had Australia chosen to use one.

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Despite the early loss of wickets, Harris steadied the innings alongside stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath. Together, they guided Australia to a respectable 37 for two at the end of the powerplay. As they began to find their rhythm, the pair accelerated, hitting a series of boundaries to bring the score to 65 for two at the halfway mark of the innings.

India began to create opportunities to dismiss the Australians, including a near miss for Pooja Vastrakar, whose catch fell short, and a straightforward chance dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur to dismiss McGrath. This drop proved crucial, as Yadav claimed McGrath’s wicket just two balls later for 32, with Richa Ghosh executing a smart stumping to end their 62-run partnership.

Harris continued to counterattack but was ultimately caught by Deepti Sharma at short midwicket for 40. Shortly after, Ashleigh Gardner fell for six after skying the ball to Yadav, leaving Australia at a precarious 101 for five with five overs remaining. 

Ellyse Perry stepped up for the defending champions, forming a vital partnership with Phoebe Litchfield. The duo struck three consecutive boundaries, propelling Australia forward. However, Perry’s quickfire 32 came to an end when she was caught at square leg off Sharma’s bowling. Despite losing a few late wickets, Australia managed to finish their innings at 151 runs.

In reply, India’s innings began with intent as Shafali Verma looked to give her team a fast start. However, her efforts were cut short when Annabel Sutherland caught her at long on off the bowling of Ashleigh Gardner, leaving India at 20 runs. Molineux then struck, dismissing Smriti Mandhana LBW after a successful review, leaving India at 41 for two by the end of the powerplay.

Megan Schutt continued to apply pressure on the Indian batting lineup, taking the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues, who was caught in the deep for 16. Molineux and Sutherland bowled tightly, restricting India to just 67 runs for three after ten overs, thus stifling their scoring opportunities.

Harmanpreet Kaur received a lifeline in the 12th over when Darcie Brown dropped a tricky catch, but the Indian captain, alongside Deepti Sharma, struggled to accelerate the innings, with the required run rate climbing above ten per over. As the game progressed, India needed 53 runs off the final five overs. They managed to score three boundaries in the 16th over, bringing some nerves to the Australian camp.

Despite this late surge, Sharma was caught on the rope for 29 runs, and Ghosh was run out after a direct hit from Litchfield, swinging the momentum back in favor of Australia. As the tension mounted, Kaur and Vastrakar fought back with some boundaries, bringing the target down to 14 runs needed from the final over. 

In a dramatic conclusion, Australia’s bowlers executed their plans perfectly, taking four wickets in the final over while denying Kaur the strike, securing a memorable nine-run victory. This result not only propelled Australia into the semi-finals but left India relying on Pakistan to defeat New Zealand in order for them to advance to the knockout stages.

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