Australia successfully chase a target of 278 with six wickets to spare against India. (Twitter/ICC Cricket World Cup) A top-class innings from the captain Meg Lanning (97 off 107 balls; 13×4) helped Australia successfully chase a target of 278 with six wickets to spare against India. The victory also cemented Australia’s spot in the semifinals and extended their winning streak to five games.
Though the match went down to the last over, Australia was always in control of the chase. Indian bowlers didn’t exert sustained pressure against this strong batting line-up and Australia broke their own record to chase down the highest total in the Women’s World Cup.
The previous record was set by the Australians (258) against Sri Lanka in 2017. It was also the 17th successful chase in a row for Australia in the ODIs, the joint-longest winning streak, along with the Indian men’s team led by Rahul Dravid in 2005-06.
Australia defeat India by 6 wickets and win their fifth #CWC22 match on trot 🙌 pic.twitter.com/nurjWuWH9N
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 19, 2022
The Eden Park in Auckland is a relatively small ground and at the break a total of 277 wouldn’t have worried the Australians too much.
India were at least 30 runs short on this batting wicket and the fast outfields gave the batters real value for their shots.
Put into the bat, India started poorly as the openers Smriti Mandhana (10) and Shafali Verma (12) were dismissed within six overs. However, a record 130-run third-wicket stand between Yastika Bhatia (59 off 83 balls; 6×4) and Mithali Raj (68 off 96 balls; 4×4, 1×6) set the platform for a big total.
The reintroduction of right-arm pacer Darcy Brown, who removed both the Indian openers, to the attack in the 32nd over saw Yastika Bhatia caught by Ellyse Perry in the deep, ending a 130-run partnership.
Mithali Raj departed in a similar fashion to leg-spinner Alana King. Richa Ghosh (8) and Rana (0) followed in quick succession and India was set for another batting collapse. But Harmanpreet Kaur (57 not out off 47 balls; 6×4) and all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar (34 off 28 balls; 1×4. 2×6) added 64 runs off just 47 balls to revive the innings.
Three half-centuries for India as they post 277 at Eden Park!
Innings highlights 🎥 #CWC22https://t.co/9xwLAkuoMK
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 19, 2022
The 29 extras also helped India, as Australia were sloppy in the field with plenty of wides and some poor efforts in the deep. A horror 12-ball first over from Perry eased the pressure on India, with the veteran all-rounder struggling to find her line against the left and right pair of Yastika and Mithali.
She conceded 16 runs of which 10 were wides.
Beth Mooney, who took a blinder to remove Shafali Verma, put down a dolly off Harmanpreet Kaur when the Indian vice-captain was batting on 33. Brown (3/30) was a pick of the Australian bowlers. In the last ten overs, India plundered 77 runs.
A near-perfect chase
Australian openers Alyssa Healy and Rachel Haynes were off to a flying start. They were 120 for 0 in 19 overs. Healy made 72 from 65 and added 121 for the opening wicket with Rachel Haynes (43 off 55 balls).
India’s attack led by Jhulan Goswami, playing her 200th ODI, lacked bite. Healy and Haynes took the attack to Goswami and Meghna Singh, putting on 50 runs in the first 6.2 overs. Spin was introduced into the seventh over, but Healy and Haynes continued to toy with the Indian attack. The ball wasn’t gripping enough for the Indian spinners to trouble the Australians as they did against West Indies.
India playing a bowler less in the absence of Deepti Sharma also did not help their cause. The Australian batters played with a positive mindset, hitting gaps and getting the boundaries frequently. They never allowed the bowlers to bowl a plan until the very end, where India managed to bowl tight and push the game into the final over.
Meg Lanning falls three runs short of a hundred!
Australia need 8 in 6 balls.#CWC22 pic.twitter.com/hbm4TbtwgZ
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 19, 2022
In the first powerplay, the Australian openers had already struck nine boundaries in comparison to India’s three. In ten overs, India were 39 for 2, while Australia were cruising to 67 without losing any wickets.
Desperate to find a wicket, India burned both their reviews in the space of two overs, with first Haynes then Healy surviving after being struck on the pads. Sneh Rana finally provided the breakthrough for India in the 20th over and it came out of nowhere. Healey reverse-swept Rana straight to Raj at the short third.
Pooja Vastrakar removed Haynes with a quick bouncer and Australia went from 122 for 1 to 123 for 2. However, Australian captain Meg Lanning maintained the healthy run rate and completed her half-century in just 55 balls. Lanning and Ellyse Perry (28 off 51 balls; 1×4) put on a 103-run third-wicket partnership. It was the ninth-century stand between the duo.
Rain break
The rain break with Australia well in control of the chase proved to be a breather for India Women. They even got the wicket of Perry in the first over after the break. Perry never looked comfortable at the crease and was caught off a Vastrakar full toss.
India did make a spirited comeback and took the game to the last over as Meg Lanning fell three runs short of what would have been her third World Cup century. With eight needed in the final over, Beth Mooney (30 not out off 20 balls; 4×4) hit a boundary, ran a quick two, then hit the Jhulan Goswami back down the ground to seal a comprehensive six-wicket win.
Australia will now play undefeated South Africa in Wellington on Tuesday, while India head to Hamilton to play Bangladesh on the same day.
Brief Scores
India: 277 for 7 in 50 overs (Mithali Raj 68, Yastika Bhatia 59, Harmanpreet Kaur 57 not out; Darcie Brown 3/30) lost to Australia: 280 for 4 in 49.3 overs (Meg Lanning 97; Pooja Vastrakar 2/43)
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