Women’s T20 World Cup 2023: Australia advances to the final after defeating India
In the semi-finals, Australia defeated India by 5 runs. Ashleigh Gardner was named ‘Player of the Match’.
Women’s T20 World Cup 2023: Australia advances to the final after defeating India
Australia advanced to the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup for the seventh time in a row, but India put up a fierce fight and came within five runs of the target in the nail-biting semifinal on Friday, February 24 at the Newlands in Cape Town.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India, produced a stunning half-century (52 off 34), but her team was unable to cross the finish line. She also established a crucial 69-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues (43 off 24) for the fourth wicket. India’s lower-order batsmen buckled under duress and could only score 167 for 8 in their 20 overs as they attempted to chase down a difficult mark of 173.
Even India’s defensive performance was lacking, as Australia’s captain Meg Lanning and opener Beth Mooney were dropped early in their innings. The pair eventually scored 54 (37), and 49 unbeaten (34). Ashleigh Gardner, one of the best power hitters in cricket, also wounded India with 31 off 18 balls.
“The end was tight. To fight back after not playing the best cricket in all three areas was one of the best victories I’ve ever been a part of. We erred on the side of length and gave some width. We were aware that India had attacked us forcefully, making it difficult to defend this score. But when it mattered most, we prevailed. We experienced some moments of anxiety. But, we were aware that in order to win against these opponents, you had to remain competitive. Kaur had a bad luck.
We managed to maintain our composure and didn’t lose it even when we weren’t bowling well, in my opinion. We want to win these types of games. Can’t wait to come here for the championship game,” Australia captain Lanning remarked during the post-game awards ceremony.
Quick Scores: Australia (172-4) defeated India (Harmanpreet Kaur 52, Jemimah Rodrigues 43; Darcie Brown 2/18) by five runs. Beth Mooney (54), Meg Lanning (49*), and Shikha Pandey (2/32).