Kohli, Shastri, Dhawan cheer for India at Lord's in must-win clash against Australia
London, June 27
Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Ravi Shastri and Shikhar Dhawan were among the familiar faces at Lord's as India produced a commanding batting display to post 170/4 against Australia in their must-win ICC Women's T20 World Cup clash on Saturday.
Backed by a star-studded crowd, India finished with a flourish, scoring 36 runs in the final two overs and putting Australia under immense pressure. The Southern Stars struggled at the end, allowing India to gain momentum. Now, Australia needs to achieve the highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history to keep India out of the semifinals.
After choosing to bat first, India got off to a confident start with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Australia's new-ball attack failed to strike early, and the openers raced to 43 runs without losing a wicket in the powerplay.
The pair added 66 runs before Shafali was bowled for 34 in the 10th over. Jemimah Rodrigues then joined Mandhana, who found it harder to score as the field spread. A terrible mix-up in the 12th over ended Mandhana's innings at 38 off 37 balls, bringing captain Harmanpreet Kaur to the crease.
While Jemimah struggled to find her rhythm in a shaky 34 off 28 balls, Harmanpreet quickly changed the pace, finding the boundary often as India set up for a late assault. Jemimah was retired out on 34 before the final over, clearing the way for an explosive finish.
The final over belonged to Harmanpreet. She faced off against opposing captain Sophie Molineux, hitting three consecutive sixes and reaching a stunning half-century in just 25 balls. The India skipper eventually fell for 56 off 27 balls after hitting six fours and three sixes.
Deepti Sharma then finished the innings in style by hitting the boundary off the final ball, and India ended at 170/4. Molineux took two wickets but had an expensive outing, giving away 46 runs in her four overs, including 23 in the last over.
With 170/4 on the board, India has given themselves a strong chance in a virtual quarterfinal. The bowlers now have the responsibility to defend the total and secure a place in the Women's T20 World Cup semifinals.
— IANS
Reader Comments
170 is a competitive score but Australia's batting lineup is no joke. India's fielding and bowling will need to be spot on. That mix-up between Mandhana and Rodrigues was a bit disappointing though - at that level, basic running between wickets shouldn't cost a set batter. Still, what an entertaining game of cricket!
The energy at Lord's must be incredible! Having legends like Kohli and Shastri in the stands supporting the women's team shows how far Indian women's cricket has come. But let's be honest - we can't just rely on one player's brilliance every time. The middle order needs to contribute more consistently. Jemimah's 34 off 28 was too slow; we need better strike rotation. Regardless, what a match this is shaping up to be! Jai Hind 🇮🇳
So proud of our girls! Mandhana and Shafali gave us a solid start, and then Harmanpreet just took the game away from Australia. Those three sixes in the final over... goosebumps! 🏏✨ I was watching with my family and we were all screaming at the TV. This women's team has so much heart. Come on India, defend this total and get into the semis! 🎉
Great to see the women's game getting this kind of support from Indian cricket legends. That said, I'm a bit concerned about the bowling attack - we've seen India's bowlers struggle under pressure in recent tournaments. Renuka and Deepti will need to be at their best against a strong Australian batting lineup. But 170 is definitely defendable if they execute well. Should be a cracking second innings!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.