Despite Alyssa Healy’s 35 balls 51 and a handy knock from Ashleigh Gardner, India managed to remain calm under pressure and eventually won the match by 17 runs at the Sydney Showground Stadium.
For India, it was Poonam Yadav who was undoubtedly the star of the match as she picked up 4 wickets for just 19 runs and turned the match on its head after India had posted 132 runs batting first.
Beth Mooney and Healy started the run chase on a positive note for Australia and added 32 runs for the first wicket in a little less than run a ball when Rajeshwari Gayakwad dismissed Mooney to bring an end to the opening partnership. However, Healy continued and added yet another 23 runs for the second wicket to remain in the chase.
What. A. Win.
The Big Dance is underway with a bang!#AUSvIND | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/EAyJhLEL2Q
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 21, 2020
That was perhaps all the fun that Australia had in the second innings as Poonam Yadav then took centre stage. The Australian batswomen were just not able to read her bowling on Friday especially her goggly and as a result, perished.
Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry and Jess Jonassen were her Poonam’s four victims and although Ashleigh Gardner took the game deep as she scored a 34 off 36 before getting dismissed in the final over, as it turned out she was only delaying the inevitable.
Other than Poonam, Shikha Pandey was amazing with the ball in hand as she picked up 3 wickets and conceded just 13 runs in the 3.5 overs that she bowled.
In the first innings, India had got off to a flying start as Smrithi Mandhana and Shafali Verma added 40 runs in the first 4 overs.
However, as soon as Mandhana was dismissed in the 5th over by Jess Jonassen, Australia managed to put a break to India’s scoring rate. Soon after, Ellyse Perry dismissed Shafali Verma and the powerplay overs fetched 46 runs with the loss of both their openers for India.
The duo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma then managed to bring India back in the innings. They led the women in Blue’s revival as they stitched together a total of 53 runs for the fourth wicket. Just when it appeared that the duo will press the accelerator pedal, Rodrigues was dismissed by Delissa Kimmince caught plumb in front of the wickets.
It was all up to Sharma (49) and Veda Krishnamurthy to try and take India to a competitive total against the hosts. Sharma helped India get 15 runs off the 17th over by Jonassen but still, it wasn’t enough to help India cross the 150 run mark.
For the hosts, Jonassen had picked a couple of wickets for 24 runs while Delissa Kimmince and Perry chipped in with a wicket each.