In the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, India got a thrilling face-off against Australia in which they lost the match by nine runs and their semifinal dreams almost came crashing down. India was always on the back foot in the match held in Sharjah, chasing a target of 152 runs, which was a story repeated by the team and its captain, Harmanpreet Kaur.
Harmanpreet, who scored a 54 not out in 47 balls, was again in a similar kind of situation. This was the fourth time in two years that she came close to leading her team to victory against Australia, only to see her team falter in the end because of her teammates. The captain could not hide her disappointment as she spoke of previous losses in the ODI World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.
The Indian innings started well, with Shafali Verma scoring 20 runs in quick time. But once again Kaur was dismissed early, and this time India lost three quick wickets, but then Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma steadied the ship. Their combination made a comeback to India’s chase, and then a disaster struck again for the Indian team when Deepti was dismissed just when they were looking to take charge. Lower order failed to deliver under pressure and soon succumbed to pressure, which left Harmanpreet alone in the crease.
After the match, everyone in the dressing room was rather downcast. Smriti Mandhana was seen quite emotional while sitting on the stairs after she lost some important wickets that decided the fate of India. Sitting next to her, fast bowler Renuka Thakur also looked aghast at what had just happened.
However, there is still something that can keep Indian fans dreaming about their team reaching the semifinals. They can still qualify if Pakistan beats New Zealand in their next match. But Harmanpreet admitted that everything is now out of their control. “Whatever was possible, we tried to do that,” she said during the post-match interview, stressing that cricket is an unpredictable game.
As India reflects on this latest disappointment, they must await the outcome of other matches while grappling with their own performance issues—a challenge that has become all too familiar against their Australian rivals.
