Australia secured their spot in the Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought nine-run victory over India. The defending champions have dominated Group A, winning all four of their matches. However, India now faces an anxious wait to see if they will advance to the final four.
In order to progress, India must rely on New Zealand losing to Pakistan on Monday and maintain a superior net run-rate. Despite a valiant effort from India, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur's impressive 54 off 47 balls, they fell short of the target of 152 set by Australia.
Annabel Sutherland's composed final over, which yielded just four runs and claimed three wickets, ensured Australia's victory. The absence of injured captain Alyssa Healy did not hinder Australia's performance, as they posted their highest score of the tournament with 151-8.
Opener Grace Harris shone with a top score of 40 off 41 balls, supported by Ellyse Perry and stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath, who contributed 32 runs each.
Australia has been dominant in the tournament thus far, however, their preparations for this game were hindered by injuries to Healy and Tayla Vlaeminck.
Unfortunately, fast bowler Vlaeminck has been ruled out of the tournament due to a dislocated shoulder. On the other hand, Healy, who arrived at the stadium on crutches, has not been completely ruled out and will continue to have her foot injury evaluated.
Despite these setbacks, Australia's depth and strength have allowed them to continue their impressive journey towards a seventh Women's T20 World Cup title.
The Southern Stars faced a challenging moment when they were reduced to 17-2 after Renuka Singh Thakur dismissed Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham in consecutive balls. However, Harris and McGrath's partnership of 62 runs for the third wicket steadied the ship.
Although Australia experienced another stumble, slipping from 79-2 to 101-5, Perry and Phoebe Litchfield's contributions helped them finish strongly, with Litchfield's six over square leg being a highlight.
India started aggressively and reached 41-2 at the end of the powerplay, ahead of Australia's progress at the same stage. However, they struggled against Australia's spinners in the middle overs before a partnership between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma raised hopes of a remarkable victory.
Despite falling just short, India still has a chance to reach the semi-finals. However, their fate will be determined by their overall performances in the tournament, rather than just this match.
