Australia have reached a seventh straight T20 World Cup remaining after an exciting victory over India in Cape City, persevering with a streak of event remaining victories over the Indians that dates again to the 2020 version of the event.
Australia’s ladies, rebounding from the tip of an period of dominance virtually unmatched in any sport, entered the fixture sizzling favourites to e book themselves into one more remaining, significantly with India’s talismanic captain Harmanpreet Kaur unsure for the fixture.
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India haven’t defeated Australia in T20 internationals since their astonishing upset on the 2020 World Cup, and with 172 on the board, a rating by no means chased down in a Girls’s T20 World Cup, the stress was utterly on the Indians, who’ve by no means gained any silverware earlier than.
Kaur, so typically India’s heroine, got here to the crease at 3/28 and placed on 69 for the fourth wicket with younger gun Jemimah Rodrigues.
She finally departed with a half century to her identify leaving India needing 40 off the ultimate 26 balls.
Kaur was run out on an in any other case easy single after her bat plugged within the turf.
Australia are so used to steamrolling their opponents that when uncommon stress moments arrive, it’s completely felt.
Kaur’s class is such that a few of Australia’s most senior gamers made errors round her, confronted with the prospect of World Cup success not being inevitable for the primary time.
Meg Lanning fluffed a run out that will have had Kaur gone inside her first twenty deliveries, whereas Alyssa Healy dropped two catches and Tahlia McGrath had Kaur caught off a free hit.
Ellyse Perry was solely given the one over, and was taken to the cleaners for figures of 0/14, whereas Jess Jonassen’s loss of life over was taken for 10.
It might come all the way down to a bit little bit of luck for the Australians, and as participant of the match Ash Gardner mentioned afterwards, expertise will at all times “discover a manner.”
Off the again of Kaur and Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh took India shut, however finally fell agonisingly quick by six runs.
“We had no proper to win it,” Gardner admitted.
“They had been cruising, after which we discovered a approach to get some wickets. We scrapped. We fought arduous proper to the tip.”
Talking after the sport, a visibly upset Kaur spoke of her large disappointment of failing to win a recreation that had appeared in India’s grasp.
“Can’t really feel unluckier than this,” she mentioned.
“We acquired the momentum again… to lose from there, we weren’t anticipating this. The way in which I acquired run out, can’t be unluckier than that.
“Placing the trouble was vital and we had been blissful to go to the final ball. We wished to combat till the final ball.”
Australia will defend their crown on Sunday in opposition to both England or South Africa.
