Harmanpreet Kaur hasn’t fired in the tournament so far whereas Heather Knight is the leading run-scorer (File photo)
India vs England Women‘s (IND W vs ENG W) T20 World Cup semi-final highlights: An unbeaten run in the group stage propelled India into their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup final after their last-four clash against England was washed out at Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. Persistent rain since morning delayed the toss and eventually the semifinal was called off without a ball being bowled, taking Indians into the summit clash and leaving England players in tears.
England had ended runners-up in the previous edition. If the second semifinal between South Africa and reigning champions Australia is also washed out then the Proteas will advance to the summit clash since they topped their group.
Highlights
Heather Knight looked gutted at the post-match ceremony as England were knocked out of the tournament by weather conditions. Heavy rain was expected on the semi-final day and ICC went ahead with it anyway without feeling a need to have a reserve day. All eyes on the second semi-final between South Africa and Australia as rain continues to play spoilsport at Sydney Cricket Ground.
The semi-final between India and England has been abandoned. India advance to the final as they were table-toppers of Group A. This is the first time India have reached the final of the World Cup in this format.
It is still raining at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Heather Knight's side will be hoping for the rain to stop but it seems like the clouds are not going anywhere.
If you're England fan, just switch off the TV and go back to sleep. It seems like they will go home without a fight.
The situation does not seem to get better. If both the semi-finals get washed out, we are set to have new world champions this time around as India and South Africa will qualify for the final showdown.
Radha Yadav was not a part of the starting lineup as Arundhati Reddy featured in the squad. Radha showed her true class when she picked up a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, her career-best bowling figures in the format. The left-arm spinner is a wicket-taker and has proved to be the go-to bowler for Harmanpreet Kaur in the previous two games when India needed to break a partnership. Also, the 19-year-old is a decent hitter down the order and can provide the needed boost in the death overs.
If rain washes out the semi-final between India and England, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will advance to the final as they were table-toppers in Group A. The cut-off time for a 10-over per side game is 11:06 IST. The England fans will have their fingers crossed.
Smriti Mandhana has not lived upto the expectations in the group stages of the tournament. Mandhana has got good starts, making full use of the fielding restrictions along with batting sensation Shafali. But, she has not been able to convert those starts into a big score. In the knockout games, India need their experienced campaigner to take charge of the proceedings.
Not a good day for cricket fans around the world.
Hello and welcome to Women's T20 World Cup semi-final between India and England. With heavy rain forecast in Sydney on Thursday, there’s a high probability of both the semifinals being truncated affairs. Teams need to play 10 overs each to constitute a T20 match in ICC tournaments. Since both semifinals (India vs England and South Africa vs Australia) are scheduled at the SCG, there will only be a 30-minute window between both games in case overs are lost because of rain interruptions. The India-England match is scheduled to finish at 6 pm local time, while the South Africa-Australia game is scheduled for a 10 pm finish. There is no reserve day for the semifinals, and if there’s a washout, India and South Africa will advance to the final in Melbourne on Sunday since they topped their respective groups.