Australia coped without injured captain Alyssa Healy as Annabel Sutherland’s nerveless final over saw the defending champions to a nine-run win over India and into the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup, leaving their opponents with an anxious wait.
Australia were shorn of Healy (foot) – the skipper arriving at the ground on crutches after hobbling off against Pakistan on Friday – and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, who suffered a tournament-ending dislocated shoulder in the same game.
Healy’s replacement, Grace Harris (40 off 41), shared a stand of 62 from 54 balls with stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath (32 off 26) after Beth Mooney (2) and Georgia Wareham (0) fell to successive deliveries from Renuka Singh as Australia posted 151-8 in Sharjah – Ellyse Perry also chipping in with 32 off 23.
The six-time winners limited India to 142-9, with Harmanpreet Kaur’s 54 not out coming in vain as the chasing side were unable to score the 14 runs required from Sutherland’s final over, restricted to just four as four wickets fell – two for Sutherland (2-22) plus two run outs.
Australia made it four wins from four in Group A and advance as table toppers, while second-placed India now need Pakistan to beat New Zealand on Monday or hope that the Black Caps’ margin of victory is so slender that it does not see them leapfrogged on net run-rate – India’s NRR is +0.32, with New Zealand’s at +0.28.
Pakistan could still snatch second place from India but as their current net run-rate is a paltry -0.488, they would need to win by a huge margin against the Kiwis.
Group A as it stands with just New Zealand vs Pakistan to come
India fall short in chase as Australia hold on
Harris struck five fours for Australia, including one second ball, but would have been dismissed for six had wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh been able to cling on down the leg-side in the second over.
Mooney was out to a sprawling catch from Radha Yadav at backward point in the third over but Wareham would have survived next ball had she reviewed her lbw dismissal against Renuka, with the delivery set to slide past leg stump.
Australia’s Ellyse Perry hit 32 from 23 balls in her team’s total of 151-8
Harris, McGrath and Perry did the heavy lifting for Australia but Phoebe Litchfield contributed 15 from nine balls, hitting the final delivery of the innings for six over deep midwicket.
In India’s reply, Shafali Verma (20 off 12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (16 off 12) were caught after decent starts while Smriti Mandhana (6 off 12) fell lbw on review to left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux (2-32), reducing Harmanpreet’s side to 47-3 inside seven overs.
Australia then put the squeeze on, with Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma (29 off 25) getting bogged down during their fifty partnership and Deepti dismissed by Molineux in the 16th over just as India started to accelerate.
Harmanpreet kept her charges afloat with back-to-back boundaries off Ash Gardner in the 18th over and two fours off Molineux in the 19th, but Sutherland had the final say.
What’s next?
New Zealand play Pakistan in Dubai on Monday (3pm start) before England face West Indies in the final group game at the same venue on Tuesday (3pm start).
The semi-finals then take place on Thursday and Friday before the final on Sunday October 20. Watch every game live on Sky Sports.
