Australia continued their unbeaten run in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup by defeating India by five runs in the first semifinal on Thursday.

The victory means Australia has now made the final of every T20 World Cup apart from the first edition in 2009, where they were knocked out in the semifinals.

India showed grit and determination to ensure the match was a tight contest after Australia scored an above-par 172 for four in their 20 overs following captain Meg Lanning’s decision to bat in the afternoon match at Newlands.

Darcie Brown of Australia sends down a delivery in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal against India at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 23 February 2023. (Photo: Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)

India’s chase got off to a horrendous start as Australia restricted them to 28 for three within the first four overs.

But Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and 22-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues put on an impressive 69-run fourth-wicket partnership off only 41 deliveries, taking India to 97 for four in the 11th over.

India were above the asking rate at that stage, but Australia’s composure and experience ensured that the handbrake was pulled up on India’s run rate after the dismissal of Rodrigues.

The Aussies conceded only 74 runs in the final 10 overs after the 93 put on in the first 10.

Spinners Jess Jonassen and Ashleigh Gardner were particularly impressive in bowling the final two death overs.

India needed 20 runs off the final two overs, but Jonassen conceded four in the 19th before the No 1-rated all-rounder in the world, Gardner, allowed India 10 off the 20th over.

Good score

Lanning’s decision to bat first seemed to pay dividends immediately as openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney saw out the powerplay with 41 runs on the board.

Healy ran past a Radha Yadav delivery in the eighth over as she was stumped by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh for 25 off 26 deliveries.

Mooney, on the other end, continued the onslaught as she struck a magnificent half-century. Her 54 runs came off 37 deliveries with seven fours and one big six in the innings.

Gardner and skipper Lanning then came to the crease and smashed the ball to all parts as the pair put on a 53-run third-wicket partnership off 35 deliveries.

Beth Mooney of Australia plays a shot during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal against India at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 23 February 2023. (Photo: Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)

Gardner’s effortless ball striking saw her score 31 runs at a strike rate of 172.

India managed to nab the two wickets of Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris in the 18th and 19th over, but that didn’t stem the flow of runs. Thanks to sublime hitting by captain Lanning, the penultimate over went for 12 runs and the final over, 18.

Lanning lashed two massive sixes – one deep into the stands – in the final over of her side’s innings to finish on 49 runs off 34 balls.

Australia were also helped by extremely sloppy Indian fielding that provided an extra 15-20 runs.

India could have chased around 150, but ended up needing 173 to reach their second consecutive T20 World Cup final.

Close chase

India’s chase started poorly as they lost their dangerous openers – Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana – in the second and third overs.

Both were dismissed LBW. Hawkeye replay showed that the ball was just clipping leg stump for Verma’s dismissal, while it looked like Mandhana had inside-edged the ball, but replays showed that it struck her pad first.

Yastika Bhatia was then needlessly run out after a miscommunication with Jemimah Rodrigues.

Harmanpreet Kaur of India plays a shot during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal match against Australia at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 23 February 2023 in. (Photo: Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)

Nonetheless, captain Kaur and Rodrigues kept the tempo going, scoring 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in the powerplay.

India looked comfortable after 10 overs, sitting on 93 for three.

But the tide slowly turned when Rodrigues was eventually dismissed – caught by wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, trying to uppercut a Darcie Brown delivery – for an excellent 43 off only 24 deliveries, striking six exquisite boundaries.

In Brown’s following over, Healy dropped captain Kaur while she was on 36 before Healy dropped her again the following over off the bowling of Tahlia McGrath.

India needed 49 off the last five overs with Kaur still at the crease.

Kaur continued to pepper the Australian bowlers as she reached her half-century off 33 deliveries. She was dismissed the very next ball – after reaching the milestone – in peculiar fashion.

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Having played an elegant sweep shot out to the deep, she returned for what looked like an easy two runs before her bat jammed in front of the popping crease as Healy viciously removed the bails from the stumps.

There was a muted appeal by Australia, but replays showed that Kaur had nothing behind the crease when the zing bails lit up.

Needing 39 off the final four overs, Ghosh and Deepti Sharma struggled to get the ball off the square before Ghosh frustratingly holed out to deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Brown.

The 19-year-old Brown finished with stunning figures of two wickets for 18 runs in her four overs. Her economy rate of four-and-a-half per over was most impressive in a game where both teams scored at close to eight an over.

India needed 20 runs off the final two overs, but an excellent penultimate over by left-arm orthodox, Jess Jonassen, conceding only four runs while picking up the wicket of Sneh Rana meant India needed 16 off the final six balls.

The over included a superwoman effort by Ellyse Perry to save a certain boundary and concede only two off the delivery.

The tail offered Sharma very little support. She struck the final delivery of the innings for four, but it meant little as Australia gathered in celebration on the square.

Australia will meet the winner of Friday’s second semifinal between South Africa and England. The final is at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Sunday. DM