Even before the first ball was bowled, India were struck a blow in the form of seamer Pooja Vastrakar being ruled out of the semifinals?with an upper respiratory tract infection. All-rounder Sneh Rana was brought in as her replacement.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023: Meg Lanning Helps Australia Up The Tempo, India Need 173 Runs To Win
Meg Lanning took on the attacker's role after the departure of Healy and Mooney. Gardner, too, struck in the middle with a handy 31 to help push Australia's score to 172-4.
Meg Lanning bats en route to her 34-ball 49 against India on Thursday.
Meg Lanning bats en route to her 34-ball 49 against India on Thursday.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, whose place, too, was uncertain, made the cut fit and ready to lead the side.
Australia skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and elected to bat first.
Australia got off to a good start with Alyssa Healy dispatching a half-volley from Renuka Thakur to four. Thakur came back strong conceding only 2 runs of the next 5 balls.
With the ball not swinging much?in Cape Town, Harmapreet decided to introduce Deepti Sharma from the other end.
Healy, as usual, was the more dominant opener, alongside Beth Mooney, taking the attack to the Indian bowlers, especially the in-form Thakur.
Indian fielders gave it their all, saving multiple boundaries, helping keep Australia's score to just 32 runs after 5 overs.
Mooney, then, hit the first six of the innings catapulting her team's total to 43 runs in the powerplay.
The pair brought its 50-run partnership in the first ball of the eighth over with both batters sharing 25 runs between each other.
Radha Yadav got the breakthrough for India when Healy (25) stepped out and took a heave at the ball, but missed it altogether, presenting Richa Ghosh an easy opportunity to stump her.
India's first missed opportunity came when Richa dropped Meg Lanning?off Sneh Rana.
Despite Healy's departure, Mooney continued scoring boundaries and rotating the strike to keep the scoreboard ticking. Shafali Verma dropped a sitter from Mooney, which could have brought India back in the game.
Australia's score: 69-1 from 10 overs.
Mooney continued her good momentum after the drinks,?bringing her half-century from 34 balls. She was caught at point by Shafali when on 54 off Shikha Pandey.
Richa continued having a horrid day behind the stumps, this time missing a stumping opportunity off the bowling of Rana, again, to send back Lanning.
With both openers dismissed, Lanning took on the responsibility of scoring runs and they seem to be coming fast and thick with her intent.
Ashleigh Gardner, who was at this point?chipping in with the occasional boundaries, switched her tempo and took the attack to Radha Yadav and Renuka in consecutive overs scoring 4 fours in all.
Fielding again cost India when Jemimah Rodrigues missed the chance to run Gardner out?by throwing the ball to the wrong end.
Deepti finally got rid of Gardner (31), who missed a fuller delivery altogether castling her stumps.
With 2 overs remaining, Grace Harris decided to take on the attack, but was bowled by Pandey's off-cutter.
Lanning's experienced proved worthy, as she helped Australia bring up 150 with seven balls remaining in the innings.
India conceded 41 runs off the last 2 overs, including 18 from the 20th over. Australia scored 172 runs for the loss of four wickets.
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