Australia have reached a seventh straight T20 World Cup remaining after an exhilarating victory over India in Cape Town, persevering with a streak of match remaining victories over the Indians that dates again to the 2020 version of the match.
Australia’s girls, rebounding from the top of an period of dominance nearly unmatched in any sport, entered the fixture scorching favourites to ebook themselves into yet one more remaining, significantly with India’s talismanic captain Harmanpreet Kaur doubtful 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 Women’s T20 World Cup, the stress was fully on the Indians, who’ve by no means received 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 ultimately departed with a half century to her title leaving India needing 40 off the ultimate 26 balls.
Kaur was run out on an in any other case simple 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 might 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 would come all the way down to just a little little bit of luck for the Australians, and as participant of the match Ash Gardner mentioned afterwards, expertise will at all times “find a way.”
Off the again of Kaur and Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh took India shut, however ultimately fell agonisingly brief by six runs.
“We had no right to win it,” Gardner admitted.
“They were cruising, and then we found a way to get some wickets. We scrapped. We fought hard right to the end.”
Speaking after the sport, a visibly upset Kaur spoke of her big disappointment of failing to win a recreation that had appeared in India’s grasp.
“Can’t feel unluckier than this,” she mentioned.
“We got the momentum back… to lose from there, we weren’t expecting this. The way I got run out, can’t be unluckier than that.
“Putting the effort was important and we were happy to go to the last ball. We wanted to fight until the last ball.”
Australia will defend their crown on Sunday in opposition to both England or South Africa.
Originally printed as Australia attain seventh straight T20 World Cup remaining with win over India
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
