Xplorich
Australia ended India’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a convincing six-wicket victory on Sunday, raising fresh questions over Harmanpreet Kaur’s future as India’s T20 captain. Chasing 171, the six-time champions completed the target in 19 overs thanks to a match-winning 100-run partnership between Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner.India had put Australia under pressure early in the chase, reducing them to 68/3 after dismissing Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney cheaply. However, the experienced Perry (56 off 38 balls) and the hard-hitting Gardner (53 not out off 29 balls) turned the game around with a clinical display of batting.Perry relied on timing and placement, hitting eight boundaries during her innings, while Gardner attacked the Indian spinners with powerful hitting. By the time Perry was dismissed, Australia were firmly in control and eventually secured a semifinal spot with a perfect record in Group 1.Earlier, India posted 170/4, a total that looked competitive only because of captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s explosive knock of 56 off just 27 balls. Openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) gave India a steady start with a 66-run partnership, but the scoring rate remained below expectations.Shafali was dismissed while trying to accelerate, while Mandhana was run out after a mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues. Jemimah scored 34 off 28 balls but struggled to maintain momentum and was eventually retired out before the final over.Harmanpreet changed the momentum late in the innings, smashing three consecutive sixes off Australian captain Sophie Molineux in the final over, helping India score 23 runs in the last six balls. However, Perry and Gardner’s partnership proved too strong as Australia sealed victory and South Africa joined them in the semifinals.
