Melbourne: Australia clinched the ICC Women’s World Cup defeating India by 85 runs in the final here Sunday. Top-scorer Dipti Sharma (33) tried to take India past the 300-run mark, but then the tail fell in a heap to leave the visitors 99 for nine after 19 overs. An injured Tania Bhatia who had suffered concussion did not come out to bat. This is the fourth time that Australia have won the T20 World Cup. It was sweet revenge for the hosts as India had defeated them in the opening match of the tournament.
Australia inch closer towards clinching T20 World Cup
Melbourne: Australia were on the cusp of glory in the final of the UCC T20 Women’s World Cup as India collapsed to 81 for five after the end of the 15th over. India now need 104 runs in the last five overs at more than 20 runs per over… a near impossible task. However, Deepti Sharma (33 batting) is giving India’s score some sort of respectability.
Harmanpreet Kaur gone, Australia take stranglehold
Melbourne: India were 53 for four after the end of 10 overs with their supporters slowly starting to trickle out of the MCG here Sunday. The fourth batswoman to be out was skipper Harmanpreet Singh who holed out in the deep in the sixth over of the innings. At the crease are Deepti Sharma (13 batting) and Veda Krishnamurthy (16) batting. In the remaining 10 overs India require another 132 runs, a feat which doesn’t look possible.
India begin disastrously, winning T20 World Cup dream all but gone
Melbourne: India’s chase for the victory target of 185 in the ICC Women’s World Cup final could not have suffered a worst start as they lost Shafali Verma (2) to the third ball of the innings bowled by Megan Schutt. Opener Shafali had been giving India dominant starts throughout the tournament, but when it mattered the most, she came a cropper. As a result India have failed to get off to a good start. But worst was to come. After Shafali’s dismissal, India quickly lost the wickets of Smriti Mandhana (11) and Jemimah Rodrigues (0). At the end of the fifth over India are 26 for three with Haramanpreet Kaur (0 batting) and Deepti Sharma (7 batting) at the crease. However, it is quite evident that they will not be able to reach the target.
Australia finish on 184 for 4
Melbourne: Off-spinner Deepti Sharma gave India a slight lifeline picking up the wickets of Australian skipper Meg Lanning (16) and Ashleigh Gardner (2) in the 17th over. The two quick wickets stopped the Australian juggernaut which at one point of time was all set to roll India completely over. The hosts who at one point of time looked like going way past the 200-run mark finished on 184 for four. Beth Mooney who opened the innings remained not out on 78 (54b, 10×4). In the last five overs, India restricted Australia to 42 runs from five overs picking up three wickets in the process. India’s star bowler Poonam Yadav got a wicket but went for 30 runs in his four overs. Pacer Shikha Pandey who had bowled so well till the final went for 52 runs from his four
India finally get rid of Healy
Melbourne: Some form of sanity finally prevailed at the MCH here Sunday after Radha Yadav finally got rid of the marauding Alyssa Healy (75, 39b, 7×4, 5×6) in the 12th over of the Australian innings. But by that time Healy had done enough damage and put the hosts in a commanding position and in line for a score that India may find very difficult to chase down. At the end of the 15th over Australia were 142 for one with Beth Mooney (50 batting) and skipper Meg Lanning (14 batting) at the crease. They currently have a run rate of 9.46 per over and it may well propel them past the 200-run mark
Openers put hosts in total command
Melbourne: Alyssa Healy (57 batting, 7×4, 2×6) and Beth Mooney (32 batting, 4×4) plundered India bowlers at will as the hosts took firm control of the ICC Women’s final. The Indian bowlers failed to make any impact and Australia have so far scored without 91 loss in 10 overs. Unless something dramatic happens in the next 10 overs, Australia may put up a total well out of reach of Indian batswoman. Healy has faced only 33 deliveries while Mooney has consumed 28 balls.
Hosts Australia off to a flyer
Melbourne: Australia were off to a flyer in their ICC Women’s World Cup final against India scoring 47 without loss after the end of five overs. Alyssa Healy who has so far scored 28 of 15 balls took the Indian bowlers to task hitting them to all parts of the MCG. Beth Mooney looked a little bit circumspect at the start, but then she also opened up with two boundaries in her 14-ball 18.
Australia win toss, choose to bat first
Melbourne: India’s women’s national cricket team will have to overcome big match pressure as it aims to exorcise the ghosts of the past in the T20 World Cup final against habitual winners Australia in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here Sunday.
Australia skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and opted to bat first.
“It looks like a really good wicket. The crowd is amazing. We’re looking forward to it. We’re as ready as we can be today. We’ve gone with the same team tonight (from the semi),” said Lanning.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur who also happens to celebrate her birthday today said: “We also wanted to bat first but we are quite confident chasing so if our bowlers do a job it will be good for us.”
Both sides go into the clash with unchanged line-ups from their respective semi-final matches.
Teams
Australia: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Nicola Carey, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Rajashwari Gayakwad
