A virtually 15,000-strong crowd on the Sharjah Cricket Stadium witnessed an ‘harm derby’ like no different within the Girls’s T20 World Cup right here on Sunday.
With a semifinal berth to safe, India’s begin to the sport obtained off to the worst attainable begin with leg spinner Asha Sobhana hurting her knee proper earlier than the anthems had been sung.
It was a match that already had Australian skipper Alyssa Healy in a moon boot, limping round on crutches after choosing up a foot harm. The facet had additionally misplaced specific pacer Tayla Vlaeminck to a dislocated shoulder.
That’s what units champions apart from challengers. Personnel deficits had been made up for in spirit as Australia snuck previous India by 9 runs to place India’s semifinal hopes in jeopardy. This regardless of Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten half-century giving India hope until the final two balls, solely to fall quick by the barest of margins.
READ MORE | IND vs AUS, highlights
Chasing 152 on a difficult floor that had already seen three groups bat on it over the course of the day, India began cautiously.
Shafali Verma began eyeing the ropes however was ultimately despatched out by Ashleigh Gardner. Smriti Mandhana, proved why matchups are positioned on a excessive pedestal within the format, falling to the left-arm spin of RCB teammate Sophie Molineux off her very first ball.
Megan Schutt’s scintillating kind in a World Cup that was meant to see spinners thrive continued. She eliminated a harmful Jemimah Rodrigues to go away India three wickets down in seven overs.
Deepti Sharma was promoted forward of Richa Ghosh to consolidate alongside Harmanpreet and the pair placed on a 62-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Nevertheless, Australia tightened its fist across the run move. Harmanpreet and Deepti struggled to interrupt free because the Australian fielders underlined why they’re the gold commonplace within the worldwide recreation.
After spilling a catch that might have despatched Deepti again within the ninth over, Molineux may lastly make amends when the allrounder holed out to Georgia Wareham at deep midwicket to interrupt the partnership.
Pooja Vastrakar’s nine-run stint helped Harmanpreet take the sport deep. A number of extended umpire critiques solely delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Tahlia McGrath opted to bat, hoping to place India below the pump with the robust activity of chasing on a low and gradual floor.
READ MORE | Is India knocked out after dropping to Australia?
A normally set off joyful Grace Harris – elevated rather than Healy – needed to swap gears and construct her innings brick by brick after dropping Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham off two consecutive balls within the third over.
Skipper McGrath, who has batted simply as soon as within the group stage, promoted herself to consolidate the innings with Harris. The Indian fielding effort repaid the generosity their opponents confirmed in permitting for a swap between Asha Sobhana and Radha Yadav by giving Harris and McGrath a lot of lifelines within the area.
Radha eliminated McGrath in her first over on the second strive – after the primary was shelled by captain Harmanpreet. Harris was despatched again by Deepti – her WPL franchise teammate – with Smriti fast to react at quick mid-on.
However this Australian batting line-up is an meeting line. One large gun follows one other, with batting all the way down to the tail. Ellyse Perry 23-ball 32 was paired by a late surge from Phoebe Litchfield to take Australia to an above par 151.
Litchfield survived a leg earlier than dismissal which had satisfied Sue Redfern to lift her finger. The left-hander turned for the swap hit and copped the ball on the pad.
The third umpire, Jacqueline Williams, puzzlingly deemed the ball was pitched outdoors leg giving the Australian a reprieve. Her 9-ball 15 proved very important in ultimately placing on a rating that was simply past the attain of the Indians.