India managed to drag the contest into the final over but Australia were too good in their chase as they completed a six-wicket win at Eden Park and became the first team to seal a semi-final spot at the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 on Saturday. Powered by captain Meg Lanning’s 96 and a brisk half-century from Alyssa Healy (72 off 65), Australia overhauled the target of 278 to finish with 280/4 in 49.3 overs for their fifth consecutive win of the tournament.
Australia’s chase was off to a flying start with the opening pair of Healy and Rachael Haynes adding 111 runs. Healy was in aggressive mood as she struck five nine fours during her innings while Haynes was relatively quiet in her 53-ball 43.
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India struck twice in quick succession to get rid of the two openers but then Lanning and Ellyse Perry took over as another century partnership followed. The pair was going strong having added 103 runs for the third wicket when a brief rain-interruption disrupted their momentum.
Pooja Vastrakar struck by sending back Perry on 28 and then Indian applied more pressure by cutting off easy runs after Lanning entered the 90s with a flurry of boundaries.
Lanning fell in the penultimate over and Australia needed eight to win in the final over. However, Beth Mooney struck a boundary off the very first delivery of the final over, bowled by Jhulan Goswmai to calm nerves. And then took a couple off the next before sealing the win with another boundary.
Mooney remained unbeaten on 30 off 20.
Earlier, Mithali Raj, Yastika Bhatia and Harmanpreet Kaur slammed fifties as India posted a competitive 277/7 in Auckland. On a fresh pitch at a quirky venue with short square and straight boundaries, India lost their opening pair early but Mithali (68) and Yastika (59), followed by Harmanpreet (57 not out) and Vastrakar (34) ensured that the side posted a total which will be good enough to challenge Australia’s deep batting order.
India didn’t have a great start in power-play, losing Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma to pacer Darcie Brown in the first six overs. While Mandhana drove away from the body and nicked to slip, Verma’s slash was snapped by Beth Mooney diving full length for a one-handed stunner at gully.
Mithali and Yastika joined forces to put up a record partnership of 130 for the third wicket, as Australia started to leak extras consistently. A total of 16 runs from the 12th over of Perry got Mithali and Yastika to settle down without taking any further risk.
Mithali, under pressure due to a lean run, was a busy customer at the crease, getting her singles and made use of pace to get boundaries through square region in off-side. She looked delightful with the cover drive and used her feet well to slam a six down the ground.
Yastika, more aggressive of the two, struck delightful boundaries and ensured the scoreboard was ticking as Australia were pushed to the backfoot.
The duo reached their respective fifties in 77 balls to set the platform for a big total for India. But Yastika fell in the 32nd over, picking out deep backward point off Brown. Six overs later, Mithali didn’t get the required elevation on slog-sweep and holed out to deep mid-wicket off leg-spinner Alana King.
With Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana falling in quick succession, India were in trouble at 213/6 with almost eight overs left. But Harmanpreet and Pooja produced the big hits to put up a crucial stand of 64 off just 47 balls, taking advantage of Australia’s sloppy day on the field.
Harmanpreet had luck on her side as Mooney dropped her catch at 34. Harmanpreet swept and bisected her way to reach fifty while Pooja shined with a cameo of 34 to give India the apt finishing flourish they needed.
With IANS Inputs
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