In a nail-biting contest at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Australia held their nerve to secure a narrow 9-round victory over India In match 18 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Both teams fought hard but Australia came out on top in a drawn game. Sophie Molineux He was adjudged Man of the Match for his brilliant bowling performance, scoring two crucial wickets to stop India’s chase.
Australia set a competitive target with key contributions from Grace Harris and Ellyse Perry
Australia won the toss and chose to bat first on a slow surface. Their innings got off to a shaky start, with opener Beth Mooney falling early for just 2 runs, with Grace Harris anchoring the innings with 40 off 41 balls. She received strong support from Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath, who both added 32 runs. Perry’s quick-fire knock came off just 23 balls, including two fours and a six, helping Australia post a competitive total of 151/8 in 20 overs.
India’s bowlers, especially Renuka Singh Thakur and Deepti Sharma, stood out for their disciplined performances. Thakur claimed 2 wickets for 24 runs while Deepti took two scalps conceding 28 runs. Shreyanka Patil, Pooja Vastrakar and Radha Yadav took a wicket each to prevent Australia from gaining much momentum in the death overs.
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India’s chase falters despite Harmanpreet Kaur’s half-century
Chasing 152, India Women got off to a promising start but soon ran into trouble as they lost both their openers early. Shafali Verma made a quick 20 off 13, including two fours and a six, but his dismissal led to a minor collapse as Smriti Mandhana (6) and Jemimah Rodrigues (16) fell cheaply. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur played the captain’s knock, hitting an unbeaten 54 off 47 balls with six boundaries to keep India in the hunt. He shared a vital partnership with Deepti Sharma who contributed 29 runs from 25 deliveries.
However, the Australian bowlers regularly hit back. Sophie Molineux was instrumental in breaking partnerships, finishing with figures of 2 for 32 in 4 overs. Megan Schutt, Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland also picked up important wickets to halt India’s progress. Sutherland in particular was frugal, conceding just 22 runs in his 4 wickets and taking two wickets.
Despite Harmanpreet’s efforts, India were at the death, losing wickets in succession. None of the lower-order batsmen could provide the final touch and India ultimately failed, managed 142/9 in their 20 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 54 in India’s 9-run defeat against Australia.#womenscricket #INDvAUS #T20I #HarmanpreetKaur #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/1jKKJlJfu2
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This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
