India beat hosts Australia in Women’s T20 World Cup opener

Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav bowled India to an upset 17-run win over
defending champions Australia in the opening game of the women’s Twenty20 World
Cup in Sydney on Friday.

India
were restricted to 132 for four off their 20 overs before a half-century from
Australian opener Alyssa Healy appeared to have the home team on track for
victory.

But
then Yadav was brought into the attack.

Voted
India’s top female player last year, she bagged the crucial wickets of Healy,
Rachael Haynes and Ellyse Perry, and was desperately unlucky not to grab a
hat-trick in her match-winning 4-19.

“It
is a great relief to win, I’m really happy for my girls,” said Indian
skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.

“We
knew this track is something where we could do well. If we could get to 140, we
thought the bowlers can do the job. A bowler like Poonam is someone who leads
from the front,” she added.

It
was a big win for India, with only the top two from each of the two five-team
groups making the knockout phase. A dangerous New Zealand, along with Sri Lanka
and Bangladesh, are also in their group.

“They
started off well and put us under the pump. At the halfway mark, 133 to chase,
we thought we were in a pretty good place to win,” said Australian captain
Meg Lanning.

“Unfortunately
we didn’t quite execute with the bat today. There was a lack of partnerships
through the middle and India bowled extremely well. We came into this match as
ready as we could have been but India outplayed us a little bit.”

Lanning’s
team, four-time World Cup winners, were rarely tested through the second half
of 2019 when they whitewashed an injury-ravaged West Indies and a developing
Sri Lanka team in the short format.

But
they slumped to defeat against major rivals India and England this month,
before rallying to win their warm-up tri-series.

Australia
won the toss at a near-full Sydney Showgrounds and elected to bowl.

It
looked a dubious decision as exciting 16-year-old opener Shafali Verma powered
India to 40 without loss after four overs. But the wheels came off with three
quick wickets falling as the momentum shifted.

Verma
made batting look easy as she plundered four fours off the world’s top T20
bowler Megan Schutt in a single over.

But
Jess Jonassen then pounced, nabbing Smriti Mandhana lbw for 10 before Perry
tempted Verma into another big hit and she was caught at midwicket for 29.

Kaur
lasted just five balls before being stumped as India lost three wickets for six
runs.

Jemimah
Rodrigues and the experienced Deepti Sharma steadied the ship with a 53-run
stand but they could only reach 132.

Australia
made a steady start, putting on 30 runs in the opening five overs before fast
bowler Shikha Pandey removed Beth Mooney.

Healy
kept the pressure on with a flurry of boundaries.

She
brought up her 10th half-century with a six off Yadav, who promptly got her out
next ball.

Yadav
then tempted Haynes down the pitch and she was stumped before Perry was bowled
for a golden duck.

Yadav
was on a hat-trick and Jess Jonassen got an edge only for wicketkeeper Tanya
Bhatia to fluff the catch, depriving her of glory.

But
she soon struck again to snare Jonassen and Australia could find no way back.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/sports/2020/02/india-beat-hosts-australia-in-womens-t20-world-cup-opener/