India women’s team qualified for the World Cup Final by beating Australia on Thursday. (Source: AP)
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has promised to reward the women’s cricket team who have made the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup that is being played in England and Wales. India booked their place in the summit clash – only for the second time – by beating the defending and six-time champions Australia by 36 runs in the semi-final in Derby on Thursday. The Mithali Raj-led team will face England in the final – to be played at Lord’s on Sunday.
“BCCI will give reward to Women’s Cricket Team on their tremendous performance in World Cup. Match by match Indian team is performing so well now, we are proud of them particularly the knock played by Harmanpreet Kaur,” said BCCI acting president CK Khanna to news agency ANI.
Harmanpreet played a pivotal role in India’s win over Australia on Thursday where she smacked a spectacular unbeaten 171 runs from just 115 balls with 20 fours and seven sixes in her knock. Her mesmerising knock took India to a strong 281 runs in the allotted 50 overs.
In reply, Australia didn’t have the greatest of starts to lose three wickets to just 21 runs. But they came back strongly with a 105 run partnership between Ellyse Perry and Elyse Villani. The latter was the first to fall on 75 runs. Later, Alex Blackwell tried to produce a lung bursting finish with 90 runs from 56 balls but it didn’t prove enough with Australia getting bowled out for 245 runs.
The win earned massive reception in India and across the world especially for Harmanpreet who was deservedly acknowledged for her splendid knock that proved to be the difference maker between the two sides.
