ODI Champs India Suffer Women’s T20 World Cup Heartbreak, Crash Out Before Semis
India’s wait for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title will continue after the reigning ODI world champions were knocked out of the tournament with a six-wicket defeat to Australia in a virtual quarterfinal at Lord’s on Sunday.
Playing their first-ever Women’s T20I at the iconic venue, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side posted a competitive 170/6 but failed to defend the total as Australia chased it down with five balls to spare. The defeat also confirmed South Africa’s place in the semifinals, while Australia advanced with a flawless record of five wins in five group-stage matches.
The result marked another painful chapter in India’s recent rivalry with Australia. After eliminating the Australians in the Women’s ODI World Cup semifinal last year, India once again found themselves on the wrong side of a high-stakes T20 contest, extending their long wait for the elusive world title.
India Make Bright Start Before Australia Fight Back
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India the ideal platform with a 66-run opening stand. Mandhana struck a fluent 38 off 37 balls, while Shafali’s aggressive 34 off 26 deliveries, featuring three fours and two sixes, put Australia under early pressure.
However, the momentum shifted quickly. Sophie Molineux dismissed Shafali before a mix-up between Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues resulted in the opener’s run-out, leaving India at 69/2 after cruising through the first half of the innings.
Harmanpreet’s Record Fifty Lifts India
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led the recovery with a blistering innings, sharing an 85-run stand with Jemimah Rodrigues, who contributed a composed 34 off 28 balls.
The skipper exploded in the final over, smashing three consecutive sixes off Sophie Molineux to bring up a 25-ball half-century—the fastest by an Indian in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Harmanpreet eventually scored 56 off just 27 deliveries, hitting six fours and three sixes, as India finished on 170/6.
India Control Chase Before Perry-Gardner Turn the Tide
India’s bowlers made the perfect start by reducing Australia to 72/3 inside 10 overs. Renuka Singh removed Georgia Voll early, while Shree Charani dismissed Phoebe Litchfield and Deepti Sharma accounted for Beth Mooney.
Deepti also achieved a personal milestone, becoming India’s highest wicket-taker in international cricket across formats by surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s tally.
Despite India’s early control, the match slipped away in the closing stages.
Costly Errors Prove Decisive
Experienced campaigners Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner stitched together a match-winning 101-run partnership for the fourth wicket, taking advantage of India’s lapses under pressure.
A no-ball from Charani, another overstep by Renuka Singh and a series of fielding mistakes handed Australia crucial momentum just when India appeared to be in control.
Gardner smashed 52 off 28 balls, while Perry anchored the chase with an unbeaten 56 off 38 deliveries as Australia reached the target with five balls remaining, knocking India out of the tournament and keeping their Women’s T20 World Cup title dream alive.
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