India virtually out of WT20I World cup after 9 run loss to Australia

 


India’s women's team has practically exited the T20 World Cup after a narrow 9-run loss to Australia in Sharjah on Sunday. Despite Harmanpreet Kaur's valiant effort to keep fighting till the end, she couldn’t secure victory for the team. India's top-order collapse and poor fielding contributed to their downfall. While India still has 4 points from 4 matches and remains in the tournament on paper, they are likely to be officially knocked out if New Zealand defeats Pakistan on Monday. However, if Pakistan manages to beat New Zealand by a large margin, India will have a slim chance of progressing. A substantial win for Pakistan could also see them surpass both India and New Zealand to qualify for the semifinals. Australia has already secured a spot in the semifinals with 8 points from 4 matches.


Winning the toss, Australia chose to bat, making it clear that India’s task wouldn’t be easy. To improve their net run rate, Australia needed a high score, which would then demand an even quicker chase from India. India faced a setback even before the match started when Asha Shobhana injured her ankle during warm-up. With Australia’s consent, Radha Yadav replaced her in the starting XI.


India's start wasn't bad, with just 9 runs conceded in the first two overs. In the third over, Renuka Singh took two wickets in consecutive balls. Beth Mooney (2) was caught by Radha Yadav, and Georgia Wareham (0) was trapped LBW on the next ball. Australia did not take a review, but replays showed that the ball was missing the leg stump.


Despite losing two wickets, Australia didn't seem under pressure. Opener Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath played confidently, and India’s bowlers struggled to break their partnership. Harris was dropped by Deepti Sharma in the ninth over, and the third-wicket partnership crossed 50 runs comfortably. Harmanpreet Kaur then dropped McGrath's catch.


Radha Yadav eventually dismissed McGrath (32) in the 12th over, and Harris (40) fell in the 14th over, putting some pressure on Australia. Ashley Gardner (6) also didn’t contribute much. Controversy arose in the 17th over when Pheobe Litchfield was given out LBW on a reverse sweep attempt. Australia reviewed the decision, and the third umpire ruled that the ball had pitched outside leg stump, overturning the original decision. India protested, arguing that since Litchfield was attempting a reverse sweep, the rule shouldn't apply, but the third umpire upheld the decision.


Ellyse Perry accelerated Australia’s scoring towards the end before being dismissed by Deepti for 32, and Litchfield hit a six off the last ball to push Australia’s total beyond 150.


India’s highest successful chase in T20 World Cup history was 150, and their highest chase overall in T20 was 174, also against Australia. Before India’s innings began, it was shown that they needed to win within 10.2 overs to surpass Australia’s run rate. To stay ahead of New Zealand’s run rate, they needed to score at least 139, even in a loss.


India's openers started aggressively, taking risks to accelerate the run rate. They managed 25 runs in the first three overs, with Shafali Verma playing aggressively. However, she fell for 20 in the fourth over after playing a loose shot. Smriti Mandhana’s poor form continued, as she scored just 6 runs off 12 balls. Jemimah Rodrigues also fell cheaply for 16 in the seventh over.


Despite losing three wickets, India didn’t lose confidence. Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma steadied the ship and accumulated runs steadily, though their lack of boundaries caused the required run rate to rise quickly.


Both batters eventually attempted to accelerate, but this led to their downfall. Deepti (29) was dismissed while trying to hit a six off Sophie Molineux in the 16th over, and Richa Ghosh (1) was run out in the next over. With no established batter left at the other end, Harmanpreet took the responsibility to score, completing her half-century in the 19th over. However, it wasn’t enough. India needed 14 runs from the final over, but Annabel Sutherland conceded just 3 runs, taking two wickets and effecting a run out. Harmanpreet remained unbeaten on 54, but India fell short, marking the end of their T20 World Cup campaign.


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