Australia Ends India Women’s T20 Dream
Australia ends India hopes with a six-wicket victory at Lord’s in the Women’s T20 World Cup. As a result, Australia reached the semi-finals with a perfect group-stage record. Meanwhile, India exited the tournament after missing a crucial win. India needed victory after South Africa improved their qualification chances earlier. However, Australia handled the pressure with confidence and chased 171 with one over remaining. The team won all five group matches to finish at the top.
Perry and Gardner Lead the Chase
Australia lost opener Georgia Voll on the second ball of the innings. However, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner quickly rebuilt the chase. They shared a match-winning 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Perry scored 56 from 38 deliveries and earned the player of the match award. Meanwhile, Gardner stayed unbeaten on 53 from only 29 balls. Their calm batting guided Australia across the finish line. Perry praised the partnership after the match. She said Australia understood the conditions and focused on building a strong stand. She also shifted attention toward the upcoming semi-final. India posted 170 for four after an impressive batting display. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur smashed 56 from just 27 balls with six fours and three sixes. Earlier, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma added a valuable 66-run opening partnership. Jemimah Rodrigues contributed 34 before retiring out near the end. However, India’s middle order could not add enough late runs. Therefore, the competitive total still fell short. The defeat ended India’s hopes of winning a first Women’s T20 World Cup title. It also marked a second straight group-stage exit after the 2024 tournament. Meanwhile, defending champions New Zealand had already left the competition. Australia will now face the West Indies in Tuesday’s semi-final.
