India vs Aus T20 WC Final: Australia Win Record Fifth Title
Live updates from the India vs Australia Women’s T20 World Cup final.
Match Day!
The big day is here and after 8 long days the Indian team is ready to get back into competitive action, facing Australia in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
The MCG is hosting this big fixture which many are calling the biggest sporting event in women’s cricket. Organisers are hoping for a world record crowd for a women's sporting event in the 100,000-capacity stadium.
India advanced to the final without bowling a ball when rain washed out their afternoon match against England on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Having finished first in Group A gave them the advantage they needed over England, to qualify for the final.
In the night semifinal at the same venue, Australia beat South Africa under the Duckworth-Lewis system after rain delayed the start of their match.
Forced 8-day Break Playing on Harmanpreet's Mind
The forced eight-day break has affected India's preparations going into the final but the team is ready to rise to occasion in front a record crowd at the MCG, said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday.
India had defeated Sri Lanka in their last game on Saturday, followed by a semifinal washout, which meant the visitors haven't played for the last eight days and Harmanpreet conceded her team has been 'restless'.
"We haven't been outdoors much and we didn't manage to play the important game against England," said Kaur on the eve of the final against record four-time champions Australia.
"We were all in touch and doing indoor training, but it doesn't give you full confidence because the surface is totally different. Everyone was in good touch and thinking what they can do for the team.
"We did get rest also because when you're playing for a long time, you need a break. No-one wanted to take rest, everyone was so keen, everyone was on the ground and ready to deal with the situation."
First Timers vs 4-Time Champs
This is Australia’s sixth successive appearance in a T20 World Cup final, having made the showpiece in every edition since 2010. And this time, they're bidding for a record-extending fifth T20 World Cup title.
In the overall head to head, Australia have a distinct advantage over the 4th ranked India. The teams have faced each other in 31 matches in the T20I format in which Australia have emerged victorious on 26 occasions. However, the good news for India is that on the opening day of this T20 World Cup, they beat the hosts by 17 runs and will be taking confidence from it today.
For India, they have never previously made it to the Women's T20 World Cup final, and thus would be looking to become just the fourth side - after Australia, England and West Indies - to be T20 world champions.
Toss at 12pm
The toss will play a crucial role in the summit clash.
If India win the toss, they would back themselves to set a stiff target against the dominating Aussies and defend it. The young Indian batters - comprising of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues -- are in great nick but seniors Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana will have to fire big as India chase their maiden ICC title.
Australia's batters have also caught the eye, with Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy scoring 341 runs between them at the top of the order.
The two leading wicket takers in the tournament will also be in show with Megan Schutt and Poonam Yadav both having nine to their name.
Australia Elect to Bat
Aussie captain Meg Lanning wins the toss and has elected to bat first in this big match. Harmanpreet says even they would have wanted to bat first as well. Both teams are unchanged.
"Crowd's exciting, looking forward to it. Every game has been close, but we need to be at our best today. Hopefully it's a great game. We are going in with the same team tonight," said Australia captain Meg Lanning.
This will be only the second time that India will be chasing in the tournament. Incidentally, their last outing was also a chase when they beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their final group stage match.
"My mom's sitting somewhere in the stands. It's a pressure game and we also wanted to bat first. We are quite confident while chasing, hopefully the bowlers restrict them. We did some indoor practice. We are trying to stay together, because you are not getting games it tends to affect your focus. We want to treat this like any other game and give our best shot," said Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur who is celebrating her 31st birthday today.
Teams
India Women: Harmanpreet Kaur(captain), Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Taniya Bhatia(wk), Jemimah Rodrigues, Veda Krishnamurthy, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
Australia Women: Meg Lanning(captain), Alyssa Healy(wk), Beth Mooney, Jess Jonassen, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Delissa Kimmince, Megan Schutt.
Aus Start Strong
Deepti Sharma is smashed for three boundaries in the very first over as Australia announce their intent. Healy and Mooney adding 14 in the first 6 balls even as Healy gets a lifeline with Shafali Verma dropped her on the 5th ball.
Aus: 14/0 after 1 over
Gayakwad Drops Another Chance
Rajeshwari Gayakwad goes for 4 runs in the fourth over before missing India’s chance for a wicket on the day.
Beth Mooney the lucky batter this time as Gayakwad fails to hold onto the ball and misses a caught and bowled chance.
Australia going strong at 37/0 after 4 overs
47/0 in 5 Overs
6 boundaries off Alyssa Healy’s bat and 3 off Beth Mooney’s so far and Australia are looking in full command of the match so far.
47 runs on the board with just 5 overs down.
Gayakwad and Yadav Pull Back
2 runs in the 6th over and 5 runs in the 7th and Poonam Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad manage to pull things back for India.
Aus: 54/0 after 7 overs
Gayakwad Goes for 2 Sixes
Alyssa Healy clearly didn't appreciate being being pulled back as the opener fired back on Gayakwad’s bowling in the very next over.
Two back-to-back sixes on the third and fourth balls of the 8th over and that’s 16 runs runs from 8th over for the home team.
Aus: 70/0 after 8 overs
Healy On a Roll
Completes her half century off 30 balls and then lets loose in the very next over- Alyssa Healy has hit Shikha Pandey for 3 big maximums in the 11th over.
That’s 23 runs from the over.
Australia 114/0 after 11 overs.
Finally, a Breathrough
Radha Yadav has got India’s first breakthrough of the day and it’s the one player who’s tormented the bowlers the most - Alyssa Healy is caught by Veda Krishnamurthy at long on.
Out on 75 off 39- the highest-ever score in a Women’s T20 World Cup.
Australia 117/1 after 12 overs.
Mooney Completes Half Century
She played the supporting role to Alyssa Healy at the start of the innings but Beth Mooney has been silently piling on the runs as well.
The opener reaches her half century in 41 balls.
Australia 142/1 after 15 overs.
Aus Soldier On
‘I think we can make 200,’ says Alyssa Healy while talking to the commentators after getting out on 75 and the two batters in the middle look like they’ve pretty much made that the target.
Poonam Yadav goes for 12 runs in the 16th over with the skipper Meg Lanning now joining Mooney out in the middle.
Australia 154/1 after 16 overs.
2 Wickets in 17th Over
Skipper Meg Lanning lasts all of 15 balls as she’s caught on 16 and then just three balls later, Ashleigh Gardner is stumped by keeper Taniya Bhatia.
Deepti Sharma has gone for some runs today but giving away just 3 runs, she’s bowled India’s best over of the day.
Australia 157/3 after 17 overs.
Aus Post 184
Beth Mooney has carried her bat through the innings as Australia post 184/4 in the final. Poonam Yadav too does well to restrict the Aussies to just 8 runs in the over.
From 154/1 in the 16th over, Australia have now got 184 in 20. India’s bowlers doing well to restrict the Aussies after the initial assault.
India now need to pull off the highest chase in a Women’s T20 World Cup final to lift the title for the first time.
Australia 184 for 4 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 78, Alyssa Healy 75; Deepti Sharma 2/3)
Shafali Out on 3rd Ball
Shafali Verma has been caught behind in the third over of India’s chase.
That’s the team’s highest-scorer of the tournament walking back to the hut, while they try to chase down Women’s T20 World Cup history’s highest-ever target.
Shafali went for a big one on the very first ball of the chase as she hit one high down the ground, the ball though dropped just before the boundary line and was stopped by the fielders. Two deliveries later, Megan Schutt had her edging one to keeper Meg Lanning at the back.
The 16-year-old is downtrodden as she walks back to the dressing room on 2.
India 3/1 after 1 over.
Taniya Retires Hurt
India’s number 3 bat Taniya Bhatia has taken a blow to the head in the second over and is walking back to the dressing room to get checked for a concussion.
Jemimah Rodrigues replaces her out in the middle.
Jemi Out, India 2 Down
India are in deep deep trouble here as Jemimah Rodrigues lasts all of 2 balls before getting caught by Carey off Jess Jonassen. It’s an easy catch too as the teenager is walking back on a 2-ball duck.
India 8/2 in 2 overs
Big Setback! Mandhana Out
Nicola Carey once again finds herself at just the right position as India lose their third ticket. This is a big one - Smriti Mandhana out on 11.
India needed her to step up today, specially after the below par tournament she’s had but Mandhana just wasn’t allowed to play her game. Sophie Molineux’s first wicket of the match and India now have Shafali, Jemimah and Mandhana back in the dressing room.
That 185-run target is starting to look real tough now.
Captain Harman Out on 4
The pressure of the big target has claimed the wicket of India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
The skipper goes for a big one but is caught on 4 right next to the boundary line by Gardner.
Jess Jonassen with the wicket and India are now 4 down.
India 32/4 after 6 overs. Need another 153 runs from 14 overs.
India 46/4 After 8
Veda Krishnamurthy and Deepti Sharma are making efforts to get India’s chase back on track. For that, they first needed to ebb the flow of wickets, and that they have managed.
From 32/4 after 6 overs, India are 46/4 in 9.
However, with the team needing 139 runs from the next 11 overs, the target is indeed seeming a far reach.
Krishnamurthy Out, India 5 Down
19 off 24 balls and Veda Krishnamurthy is the fifth wicket to fall.
28 runs for this partnership but the Australians aren’t stepping off the gas at all as another player walks back to the hut.
India 58/5 from 12 overs. Need another 127 runs from 48 balls.
Richa Ghosh is the new player in and she’s come in in place of Taniya Bhatia who has been ruled out of the game. The 16-year-old is the concussion substitute and recently made her debut against Australia in the Tri-Nation Women's T20 Series. She has played one 2020 T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh on February 24 at Perth.
India 6 Down
Deepti Sharma, India’s highest-scorer of the innings today, has now lost her wicket.
The sixth Indian wicket of the day as she’s caught by Mooney on 33 (35 balls).
2 Wickets in an Over
India now just 2 wickets from a defeat in the final. Shikha Pandey and Richa Ghosh have fallen in the 18th over bowled by Megan Schutt.
5 runs conceded in the over as India are 97/8 and need another 88 runs from 12 balls.
Jonassen Gets Radha Yadav
Jess Jonassen has her third wicket of the match. Radha Yadav lasted just 2 balls before falling on 1, caught by Mooney.
The Australian team is now all lined up in front of their dug out as they wait for the last wicket to fall.
Australia Win World Cup
A clinical 85-run victory and Australia are the Women’s T20 World Cup champions for a record fifth time.
Poonam Yadav is the last of the Indian wickets to fall and the crowd is up on their feet as their home team extend their dominance on women’s cricket.
- Australia: 184 for 4 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 78 not out, Alyssa Healy 75; Deepti Sharma 2/38)
- India: 99 all out in 19.1 overs (Deepti Sharma 33, Veda Krishnamurthy 19; Megan Schutt 3/18.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)