1 month ago
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Australia secured their spot successful the Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals with a nine-run triumph implicit India, who look a tense hold to spot if they volition articulation them successful the last four.
The defending champions are definite of topping Group A aft winning each 4 games, but second-placed India request New Zealand to suffer to Pakistan connected Monday and enactment up of some sides connected nett run-rate (NRR) to progress.
Needing 152 to triumph and backed by a ample and raucous assemblage successful Sharjah, India batted aggressively and gamely kept up with the rate.
They needed 14 to triumph disconnected the last implicit acknowledgment to an fantabulous 54 from 47 balls from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
But Australia seamer Annabel Sutherland held her nerve, with her implicit costing conscionable 4 runs for the nonaccomplishment of 3 wickets to seal the win.
Australia, who were without injured skipper Alyssa Healy, earlier recovered from the nonaccomplishment of 2 aboriginal wickets to station 151-8 - their highest people of the tournament.
Opener Grace Harris top-scored with 40 from 41 balls, portion Ellyse Perry and stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath each added 32.
Australia person been imperious successful the tourney truthful far, but their preparations for this crippled were hampered by injuries to Healy and Tayla Vlaeminck.
Fast bowler Vlaeminck is retired of the tourney with a dislocated enarthrosis but Healy - who arrived astatine the stadium connected crutches - has not been ruled retired and volition proceed to person a ft wounded assessed.
But specified is Australia's spot successful extent those injuries failed to disrupt their seemingly unstoppable march towards a seventh Women's T20 World Cup title.
The Southern Stars were reduced to 17-2 erstwhile Renuka Singh Thakur removed Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham successful successive balls, lone for Harris and McGrath enactment connected 62 for the 3rd wicket.
Another wobble saw Australia gaffe from 79-2 to 101-5 but Perry and Phoebe Litchfield, whose 15 from 9 balls included a booming six implicit quadrate leg, helped them decorativeness with a flourish.
India began aggressively and reached 41-2 astatine the extremity of the powerplay, up of wherever Australia were astatine the aforesaid stage.
They were smothered by Australia's spinners successful the mediate overs earlier a fourth-wicket concern worthy 63 betwixt Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma, who deed 29 from 25, raised hopes of a spectacular win.
Despite falling conscionable short, India could inactive scope the semi-finals. But if they are eliminated it volition beryllium their performances earlier successful the tourney and not present that did the damage.
Australia stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath: "We privation to triumph each crippled we play, we knew India would travel truly hard astatine america and I americium arrogant that we held our nervus astatine the end.
"The full squad got astir maine and I had a batch of assistance retired there. Everyone stepped up."
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur: "We were trying to bash immoderate we can, but it's not successful our hands anymore. Now, whichever squad deserves to beryllium determination volition beryllium there."
Player of the match, Australia spinner Sophie Molineux: "All the elder players took power and everyone went connected auto-pilot retired determination to get the victory.
"It besides felt large to bounce backmost from the injuries successful the group."
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