AI Simulation, Women's WC | Smriti and Harmanpreet snap 15-match Aussie streak to set Proteas final date

Pitch and Weather

The pitch for the semi-final was ideal for batting, with a hard gloossy exterior along with true bounce making for a some gorgeous stroke making. However, there was also a thin of covering grass that provided seam movement to the pacers especially in the first innings before slowing down and favouring the spinners in the second half, while overcast conditions made swing a major weapon for both sides. Humidity hovered around the 70% markand the temperature stayed in the late 20s, gradually decreasing as the evening wore by.

Toss

Australia won the toss and decided to bat first, banking on the old-school strategy of putting runs on the board in a high-pressure encounter.

Lineups

India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c/wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Kim Garth

Match Report

Opting to bat first, Australia got off to the worst start possible when Renuka Singh viciously swung a delivery away from Phoebe Litchfield in the first over to take the outside edge and send the opener packing for a duck. The right-arm seamer then made it a double whammy in her next over, this time breaching the gap between Ellyse Perry's bat and paid, to leave Australia reeling early. Skipper Alyssa Healy combined with the experienced Beth Mooney thereafter to bring some calm back to the chaos, the duo making the scorecard tick with the occassional boundary to take Australia through to the powerplay's end at 45/2. Once the field spread and the spinners came into play, a few big hits followed as 65 runs came off the next 10 overs and both batters brought up their respective fifties. However, just when the partnership was threatening to take the game away from India, Deepti Sharma castled Healy with a jaffa to end the 125-run stand. Mooney nonetheless motored along for a few more overs, with Ashleigh Gardner proving able company at the other end, and left Australia well placed at 166/3 after 30 overs when she holed out to Deepti for 78. Tahlia McGrath walked out with intent thereafter and lambasted a quick 30 off 25 deliveries, smashing three boundaries and a maximum in the process, in a half-century stand with Gardner. However, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front by dispatching both in the only over she bowled, thus triggering a fatal collapse for her rivals. Australia managed just 42 runs in the last 10 overs and lost four wickets in the process, as Kranti Gaud and Renuka delivered brilliant spells at the death to restrict Australia to a slightly subpar 262/8.

In response, Shafali Varma got India off to a flier in her maiden outing of the tournament, smashing four boundaries in as many overs to set the tone. Even though the youngster eventually fell to Kim Garth for 28 in the poewrplay, a half-century stand with Smriti Mandhana meant the team was sat looking pretty at 65/1 after 10 overs. However, Harleen Deol failed to capitalize on the platform as she managed just 15 before being pinned in front of the stumps by Gardner, bringing skipper Harmanpreet to the crease. With Smriti looking invincible at the other end, the duo gor busy with quick singles and doubles while smashinf the odd-boundary to kepe the required rate in check. Australia could only keep looking as the partnership quickly inflated from 30 to 70 and beyond 100, taking India closer to victory with each over. It was Gardner again who finally delivered the breakthrough, but not after Harmanpreet had registered another World Cup half-century against Australia as she departed for a 66-ball 61. India were left needing just under 80 by this point with 15 overs still at hand and Smriti at the crease, but the Aussies kept themselves alive in the content by sending the opener packing the very next over just six short of what would have been a record-breaking ton. However, the hosts remaine dunperturbed as Jemimah Rodrigues stitched together a risk-free 49-run stand with Deepti before Richa Ghosh finished the game off in style with a boundary, taking India home with four wickets and nine balls to spare. 

Player of the Match

Smriti Mandhana was unsurprisingly named player of the match for anchoring the Indian chase with a 94-run knock, moving to within touching distance of the top-spot in the tournament's run-scoring charts in the process.

Scorecard