A nail-biting loss to Australia puts India’s T20 World Cup semi-final hopes in jeopardy. Harmanpreet’s standout innings wasn’t enough to save the match.
Introductions:
Having put in their all to survive for the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the loss for India against Australia in nine runs left their hopes dangling on a string. While skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a heroic half-century that helped keep the hopes alive for India, their chase fell short, and their fate is now hanging in the balance till New Zealand vs Pakistan is decided.
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Holding On for a Miracle
India now stands at a doubtful position in the tournament, after losing two and winning two from its four matches. A Pakistani victory over New Zealand will end India’s campaign, while a Pakistani win will send the qualification of the semi-final to be decided on the net run rate.
This was a must-win game for both teams. The match had all the ingredients of a thrilling encounter between two major cricketing nations, where every ball mattered. A packed Sharjah stadium of 14,946 watched such a spectacle.
Injury Worries on Both Sides Injuries marred the game of New Zealand vs. Pakistan what seemed to be another one of those nail biting encounters.
Injuries problems had bedeviled Australia in the run-up to the match, while India too was dealt a blow ahead of this match with Asha Sobhana suffering a knee injury and ruled out. Captain Alyssa Healy limped on to the ground on crutches and injury left Tayla Vlaeminck out of the tournament altogether. In a magnanimous gesture, it was Australia that allowed India to substitute Radha Yadav for Sobhana in the playing XI.
Later in the match, Renuka Singh left the field limping after her bowling spell and returned only to receive the final delivery of the game. Both teams performed gallantly in a game that would seal one’s semifinals hopes.
Brisk start but missed opportunities for India -.
It started well for India in a chase that seemed destined to end with a dramatic flourish. But wickets at crucial moments of the game took the wind out of their sails. They had got to 47 for 3 after seven overs before a bright prospect of 63 runs between Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma opened up a middle passage of hope for them. However, within just 31 runs for six wickets, India faced a rapid collapse as Harmanpreet fought in vain to salvage her team.
Australia, though, couldn’t bat like its own self in the field as they threw away two opportunities and conceded four wides and a no-ball. They, however, defended the total.
Grace Harris replaced Healy and led the Aussie onslaught with an excellent 40 off 41 balls, whereas Tahlia McGrath and she salvaged a crucial stand in an attempt to redeem a precarious situation after early blows, and Ellyse Perry’s blistering 32 off just 23 balls ensured a great finish for Australia.
Prime Moments and Ball-Changes
Georgia Wareham, early overs lbw, but the replays later showed that the ball would have missed leg stump. Wareham didn’t review the decision and costed an early wicket to Australia.
Mid-innings Acceleration
Harris and McGrath were certainly responsible for giving Australia a much-needed competitive total by attacking in the middle overs. Their partnership took Australia to 65 for 2 at the half-way mark. Hermanpreet dropped a catch, and the partnership continued, but the Australians did not give up the wicket so easily.
Drama in the Death Overs
India fought back into the game, and the middle order saw more fireworks as Deepti dismissed Harris and then the 17th over from Radha Yadav got the wicket of Ashleigh Gardner. Australia were at 101/5 after 15 overs when Perry ensured a good ending by scoring 13 crucial runs off the last over.
India thought they had another key breakthrough when Deepti appealed for lbw against Phoebe Litchfield. It was given out by the umpire Sue Redfern, but a review showed the ball to have pitched outside leg stump, and so it was overturned.
Powerplay Woes For India
In their reply, India got underway in a hurry through Shafali Verma who struck some early boundaries. Australia replied by pulling out Verma and Mandhana soon afterwards with the help of Gardner and Sophie Molineux respectively, so that by the end of the powerplay of their innings India had arrived at 41 for two which once again put breaks on its pace.
Australia strangled them further as Rodrigues was dismissed in the seventh over. Deepti scored a boundary but the chase slowed down for India thereafter.
The match defining Harmanpreet’s innings: The leader getting it done
She kept India in the game, guided her team through the middle overs, and found crucial boundaries at the right time. The half-century came in 44 balls, which ensured India did not get knocked out of the contest. However, with the lack of support from the other end, India just could not keep up with the run rate that was increasing by the minute.
In the end, Harmanpreet saw four wickets from the non-striker’s end fall in just a few overs, ending India’s hope to pull off a close victory.
Conclusion: Semi-final Hopes
With this win, the Australians stamped their ticket into the semi-finals. Now, India relies on the outcome of the New Zealand Pakistan match to get them to the semi-finals. Still, regardless of that result, the India vs Australia was easily the most electrifying contest that marked the return to form of the tournament.