A win streak of 15 T20 World Cup video games. Unbeaten within the match since 2020. 4 wins out of 4 video games of their pool within the present version. A Internet Run Charge within the pink of well being (+2.223).
Australia might be the one facet that feels essentially the most ‘at home’ in World occasions, significantly in a World Cup that has thrown individuals and groups out of their consolation zones.
Nicely in command of its semifinal bid, the Aussies confronted India within the remaining group sport for each groups.
The cricketing gods determined to throw in a curveball to spice issues up. Australia skipper Alyssa Healy, a personality arterial to this India vs Australia rivalry, was left strolling with crutches after choosing up a foot damage of their win in opposition to Pakistan.
Grace Harris, who was dismissed for a golden duck in opposition to New Zealand, opened alongside Beth Mooney. Darcie Brown got here in for Tayla Vlaeminck, who had dislocated her shoulder earlier than she may bowl her first ball of the match.
Australia’s Beth Mooney, proper, and Australia’s Grace Harris speak on the pitch as they bat throughout the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Sharjah Stadium.
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Australia’s Beth Mooney, proper, and Australia’s Grace Harris speak on the pitch as they bat throughout the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Sharjah Stadium.
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The energies on the sphere have been as completely different as chalk and cheese. The Indians have been upbeat, noisy nearly.
The Aussies, on the different finish, have been muted. A critical huddle and some tight hugs later, they have been off to set a goal for a determined Indian facet to chase. Healy was getting in some last-minute chats with the bowlers.
“She’s such a passionate cricketer that she wanted to be involved in every single aspect. She was in our meeting today when we were working out match-ups and that, and from all reports she was a very painful watcher who just wanted to be out there and wanted to be involved,” stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath stated after the sport.
India confronted an undesirable hiccup of its personal when Asha Sobhana injured her knee simply earlier than the anthems have been sung. Radha Yadav was despatched in to take her place whereas the administration ran the swap by the opponent.
RELATED: Asha Sobhana injured forward of IND vs AUS, Radha Yadav is available in as alternative
Brick by brick
Australia confirmed exceptional consciousness of the velocity restrict for scoring runs at this venue. Go too quick too early they usually risked a batting crash, orchestrated by Renuka Singh.
Mooney and Georgia Wareham fell early, which meant the air round Harris bought twice as scorching. The allrounder then determined to dial down the tempo, stitching collectively a 62-run stand from 54 deliveries with McGrath.
Candy early success: Renuka Singh of India celebrates taking the wicket of Georgia Wareham of Australia throughout the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match.
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Candy early success: Renuka Singh of India celebrates taking the wicket of Georgia Wareham of Australia throughout the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match.
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Any benefit India ceded by way of fielding lapses and dropped catches– at the very least 5 lifelines by way of the innings – was prone to being cancelled out by India’s potent twelfth man – the gang.
“For us, it’s almost about trying to ignore the crowd at times because they can make you seem like you’re behind the game when you maybe might not be,” McGrath stated after the sport.
The nerves of the event bought to India too. Deepti Sharma dropped Harris within the ninth over however examined her aplenty with deliveries turning into center and leg, cramping Harris for house.
Whereas India allowed the Aussies room to run, there have been 22 dot balls within the first seven overs. McGrath and Harris managed to step on the gasoline and get Australia to 65 for 2 on the midway stage.
Foot on the gasoline: McGrath of Australia performs a shot throughout the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match in opposition to India on the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
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Foot on the gasoline: McGrath of Australia performs a shot throughout the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match in opposition to India on the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
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Because the floodlights flickered and the music blared to entertain spectators, India head coach Amol Muzumdar was within the ear of his captain and her deputy. They wanted to unsettle the opponent.
Escalation
McGrath emerged from Renuka’s final over, and a evaluate for LBW, unscathed. After copping a ball to the leg, India subbed Renuka with Sajeevan Sajana, a greater fielder. Strategic? Not unhealthy in any respect, if it was.
Radha, who wasn’t even imagined to bowl on this sport, introduced India a much-needed breakthrough on her third attempt. The primary was dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur at brief cowl. An elevation sans distance off the subsequent ball additionally landed safely past her. The Aussie skipper then got here down the monitor hoping to go huge as soon as once more however missed and was stumped by Richa.
Reprieve eventually: Radha Yadav of India celebrates with group mates after taking the wicket of McGrath of Australia at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
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Reprieve eventually: Radha Yadav of India celebrates with group mates after taking the wicket of McGrath of Australia at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
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However Australia backs energy with energy. Off went McGrath, and in got here Ellyse Perry. Quickly, Harris departed too, with Deepti doing the honours. It was a tall ask, anticipating two new batters – Perry and Ashleigh Gardner – to open the dam rapidly on a floor like this.
Pooja, who bought smacked down the bottom for 4, banked on her brief ball to take away Gardner, with assist from Radha at cowl.
Harmanpreet’s acrobatics on the sphere worsened the discomfort in her neck (which had pressured her to not subject in any respect in opposition to Sri Lanka). Smriti took cost of the sphere from that time as her captain drooped slightly because of the ache.
Within the seventeenth over, Litchfield – going for the reverse sweep with a really switch-hit-like stance change – took a success to the pads. Sue Redfern instantly raised her finger, Litchfield was midway again regardless of Perry convincing her to evaluate. After an extended replay, the choice was overturned.
Perry rapidly put her arm round Litchfield. That supply wanted to be forgotten and the duo wanted to go all out. From 127 for 5 on the finish of that over, Australia completed with 151 for eight.
Harman and the Aussies
Realizing the draw back of batting fourth on a wicket baking below the recent Sharjah solar, Shafali Verma and Smriti began their chase with trepidation for the primary over and a half.
By the top of the PowerPlay, each openers have been gone, courtesy of the spin duo of Gardner and Sophie Molineux. Jemimah, too, started with aggression however may solely final for 12 balls, Megan Schutt craftily utilizing the brief ball to set off a dismissal.
Begin of the decline: Ashleigh Gardner of Australia celebrates with group mates after taking the wicket of opener Shafali Verma.
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Begin of the decline: Ashleigh Gardner of Australia celebrates with group mates after taking the wicket of opener Shafali Verma.
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It got here right down to Harmanpreet and Deepti, with India needing 104 runs from 78 balls.
The Australians knew who they have been coping with in Harmanpreet. Nobody had obsessed about her unbeaten 171 within the 2017 World Cup semifinal greater than them.
Mooney, extra just lately, had seen a truncated model of ‘Harmonster’ (because the moniker goes for when she goes on a rampage) within the Girls’s Premier League earlier this yr when she scored an unbeaten 95 off simply 48 balls for Mumbai Indians in opposition to Mooney’s facet Gujarat Giants.
“She controls run chases unbelievably well,” McGrath stated, in reflection. “When Harman’s at the wicket in a run chase, you never feel fully in control because she can just go through the gears really quickly and take a game away from you.”
It took eight-and-a-half overs to interrupt the 63-run stand between this pair when Molineux despatched Deepti again. Richa then departed cheaply, once more.
Schutt was imperious in that over – the sport’s seventeenth – making a gift of only one run, an over McGrath would hail as essential to the win, particularly in a sport that noticed even the Aussies put down two catches and concede 4 wides and a no ball.
India wanted 41 runs from 24 balls. Harmanpreet had completed way more with far much less. From putting at below 100 at one level, she turned the knob a couple of ranges increased and took on Gardner, with back-to-back fours within the 18th over. It got here right down to the final over with 14 runs wanted for a win.
Alas, the outdated story was advised as soon as extra. Nerves dominated all as India misplaced 4 wickets in six balls with Harmanpreet helplessly watching on the different finish.
One other Australia conflict, one other loss: Harmanpreet walks off the sphere after the loss within the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Sharjah Stadium, United Arab Emirates.
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One other Australia conflict, one other loss: Harmanpreet walks off the sphere after the loss within the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Sharjah Stadium, United Arab Emirates.
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McGrath entrusted Annabel Sutherland with the ball. She first ripped by way of Pooja’s stumps. Arundhati Reddy, the brand new batter tasked with getting her captain again on strike, then sacrificed her wicket. Sutherland was shrewd as she went full, permitting Harmanpreet no room to get the ball throughout the fence.
RELATED: Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024: Australia dents India’s semifinal hopes with nine-run win
Her subsequent supply was broad, however a mix-up within the center noticed Mooney catch Shreyanka Patil wanting her crease. Radha, who got here in subsequent, walked again as rapidly as she walked when a full-length ball copped on her pads. All Renuka may do was a single off the final ball of the innings.
“I asked Bellsy (Sutherland) how her heart rate was after that last over and she said, ‘I’m fine. I’m chill’,” McGrath revealed. Nice solution to sum up this outfit’s model of cricket. Cool, composed, catastrophic.
Loads of what ifs
Australia has bested India by the barest of margins one too many occasions within the current previous. In 2022, the Aussies denied India the enjoyment of a Commonwealth Video games gold medal by beating Harmanpreet and Co. by 9 runs.
Final yr, India was ousted from the T20 World Cup after a five-run loss to Meg Lanning’s Australia within the semifinal. The match in Sharjah, like its earlier shut losses, may have been India’s sport. However it was left with an extended listing of ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’ but once more.
So shut but to this point: India misplaced by 9 runs in one other agonising defeat to Australia in a match that would have seen it safe a win.
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So shut but to this point: India misplaced by 9 runs in one other agonising defeat to Australia in a match that would have seen it safe a win.
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However this second belongs to Australia alone. Sustaining a scary successful streak within the World Cups, getting by way of captaincy modifications and constructing a formidable squad, the Aussies are the gold customary within the girls’s sport.
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Author : admin
Publish date : 2024-11-23 08:09:36
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