India secured a place in the semi-finals of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, courtesy of a five-run triumph over Ireland on Monday, 20 February. Chasing a target of 156 runs in a rain-curtailed game, Ireland could only score 54/2 after 8.2 overs, which was five runs less than the DLS par score.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bat first after winning the flip of the coin, though her team did not get off to the start she would have desired. Whilst Smriti Mandhana looked in good nick, the skipper of the World Cup-winning U19 side, Shafali Verma struggled for momentum.
The first five overs saw last edition's runners-up scoring 30 runs at a run-a-ball rate, although the scoring pace did increase over the next few overs. Shafali’s struggle eventually came to its conclusion in the 10th over, when Laura Delany provided Ireland with their first breakthrough of the game.
Shafali’s struggle eventually came to its conclusion in the 10th over, when Laura Delany provided Ireland with their first breakthrough of the game.
With the situation demanding an experienced campaigner, Kaur promoted her to number three and it proved to be a fructuous call, as he built a commendable second-wicket stand with Mandhana. The latter was dropped twice in the game, but she deserves due credit for capitalising on those and bringing up her 22nd T20I half-century in the 14th over of the game.
Moreover, the opening batter trumped West Indies' Stafanie Taylor to claim second place on the list of highest T20I half-centuries in women's cricket, behind only New Zealand's Suzie Bates.
The 51-run partnership was finally broken in the 16th over by Delany, but that was not all from the Irish perspective, with in-form wicketkeeper-batter, Richa Ghosh also losing her wicket in the same over.
India bounced back by scoring 25 runs over the next couple of overs, and whilst both Mandhana and Deepti Sharma were dismissed in the penultimate over, the former after having scored 87 runs, a couple of boundaries off Jemimah Rodrigues’ bat in the last over helped India cross the 150-run mark, and put up a total of 155.
Lewis, Delany’s Rearguard Goes in Vain
Laura Delany was unbeaten on 17 when the match was halted.
(Photo: Twitter/ICC)
In the chase, Ireland had the worst start they possibly could have had, with both Amy Hunter and Orla Prendergast returning to the pavilion for a duck, and Renuka Singh wreaking havoc for India. A collapse could well have been on the cards, but courtesy of Gaby Lewis and Laura Delany’s combined efforts, Ireland managed to build a rearguard.
Having weathered the storm, the pair managed to play with a bit more freedom and take Ireland’s score to 54/2 after 8.2 overs, but it ended up being five runs short of the DLS par score.
With this victory, India finished second in Group B standings with six points from four matches. Provided England does not lose their last group stage game against Pakistan by a gargantuan margin, India will now face the five-time champions, Australia, in the semi-final on Thursday, 23 February, in Cape Town.
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