New Delhi: The stage is set at Cape Town’s Newlands Cricket Ground for the first semifinal encounter of the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, with defending champions Australia taking on India. This is not only a repeat of the final of the 2020 edition of this tournament but also the first time the two sides have faced each other in a major tournament since the final of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year.
Due to their impeccable win-loss record, Australia are considered the firm favourites today and will be poised by the return of their wicketkeeper and star opening batter Alyssa Healy. However, they have left out leg-spinner Alana King with Jess Jonassen taking her place in the starting lineup.
India, on the other hand, were dealt with their own personnel blow as seamer Pooja Vastrakar had to withdraw from the side due to an illness. Sneh Rana replaces her. Yastika Bhatia and Radha Yadav have also been picked today, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur has retained her place in the lineup, having faced her own illness scare this week.
Australia won the toss and have elected to bat first, with captain Meg Lanning saying that the pitch looks good to put runs on the board first. For India, the new ball performances of Shikha Pandey and Renuka Singh Thakur will likely be essential if Harmanpreet Kaur’s side are to record a famous upset.
India Playing XI
Smrithi Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Sneh Rana, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur
Australia Playing XI
Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
Get all the LIVE updates here:
9.44 PM: It’s all a bit “Commonwealth Games sequel” for India while the Australian winning machine rolls on. India was well ahead of the run rate when Jemima Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur were at the crease but a soft dismissal off a short ball and some lackadaisical running saw them both dismissed, perhaps prematurely. It’s off to the Women’s Premier League for India next month while Australia will now face the winner of England v South Africa in the final of the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup. Thank you for joining our LIVE coverage of this semifinal.
9.43 PM: Over 20 India 167-8 (Deepti 20*, Pandey 1*) – Heartbreak for India as Australia win by 5 runs
Gardner to bowl the last over with Deepti on strike, as the India allrounder beautifully pierces the gap with a cover drive but Tahlia McGrath chases well before diving to stop the boundary. Deepti then dances down the wicket to go leg side and finds the gap again but not the boundary, as it’s another two for India. Deepti then can’t find a gap on the offside so is forced to give the strike to Radha Yadav, with India needing 11 off 3. Boundaries are the required currency here, and Radha Yadav attempts one instantly but gets no timing, hitting a darter straight down Ellyse Perry’s throat, leaving India 8 wickets down. 11 needed off 2 now with Shikha Pandey at the crease and all she can do is take a single through a hit to mid-on, which means that unless there’s a series of wides or no-balls, Australia cannot lose from here. Deepti finally finds four runs but it’s only academic here, as Australia qualify for the Women’s T20 World Cup final!
9.36 PM: Over 19 India 157-7 (Deepti 11*) – OUT! India needs 16 off the last over with Deepti at the crease
Meg Lanning has entrusted Jess Jonassen with the critical penultimate over, although she usually bowls the final over, according to commentator Mel Jones. Her change of pace is responded to by a single from Rana with the field spread out, and Deepti can only respond by turning the strike back over. Rana tries to change things up by going way outside her off stump and she fails to connect on a nearly wide-leg side delivery by Jonassen. She connects the very next ball and what should have been a certain four is stopped by one of the best dives you’ll see in women’s cricket from the evergreen Ellyse Perry! India needs 16 off 8 now, which becomes 16 off 7 as Rana mistimes her drive after using her feet. And finally, on the last ball of the over, Rana misses, and Jonassen hits! Another attempt at going down the ground sees Rana miss a straight delivery which cannons into the stumps!
9.31 PM: Over 18 India 153-6 (Deepti 10*, Rana 8*) – India needs 20 runs off 12 balls to reach final
Schutt’s form appears to have completely deserted her, just like it did for Thakur earlier in the game. After conceding yet another wide freebie, her full slow delivery is anticipated brilliantly by Sneh Rana, who slog sweeps her over midwicket for four! India are still in this, provided they don’t keep losing wickets, as it’s an 11-run over.
9.28 PM: Over 17 India 142-6 (Deepti 8*, Rana 1*)
Gardner returns to practically finish off the game and while her drag down sees Deepti dispatch the ball for four, she concedes just 3 off the other 5 as India need 31 off 18.
9.24 PM: Over 16 India 135-6 (Deepti 2*) – OUT! Brown completes super spell by removing misfiring Ghosh
Brown returns to finish her successful spell, she’s been by some distance Australia’s best bowler and found the perfect uncomfortable angles on this batting-friendly wicket. Her length delivery sees new batter Deepti Sharma cop one on the midriff and there’s a break in play in order to provide her with some treatment. That run-out appears to have completely sapped India of the momentum they had most of the innings but they still have these two finishers at the crease. But Richa Ghosh can’t find her timing, and her premeditated ramp is simply not the right option as the dot balls pile up. Ultimately, Richa goes for a desperate wild hoick that gets the desired elevation but not enough distance as McGrath takes the catch in the deep. This inning is going very south very fast for India, much like their botched chase in the Commonwealth Games final!
9.16 PM: Over 14.4 India 133-5 (Ghosh 14*) – OUT! Captain Harmanpreet run out after scoring half-century
Wareham returns much to Harmanpreet’s delight, as the captain hits two consecutive boundaries with a cut shot and a sweep to bring up a masterful half-century! India are within touching distance of the final if this duo can keep this going, but what just happened? An attempted two sees Harmanpreet’s bat get stuck in the pitch and she’s run out by Healy against the run of play! A critical, critical breakthrough by Australia out of nowhere!
9.13 PM: Over 14 India 124-4 (Harmanpreet 43*, Ghosh 14*) – India plunder 13 off Tahlia McGrath over to keep chase ticking
Allrounder Tahlia McGrath is brought on now for her first over as Australia try to flex their strength in depth by using all their bowling options. She nearly makes an instant impact as Harmanpreet exposes her stumps and gets a faint edge off an attempted drive but Healy cannot complete what would have been a stunning catch and somehow, the ball also evades the off stump! While Ghosh cannot take advantage of a no-ball free hit later on in the over, she and Harmanpreet regain their composure to toy with the field placements with two magnificent fours on the offside!
9.08 PM: Over 13 India 111-4 (Harmanpreet 37*, Ghosh 8*) – Harmanpreet survives as Healy drops catch off Brown’s bowling
Brown continues her spell following her economical and wicket-taking previous over and is slowly putting some long overdue pressure on Ghosh and Harmanpreet, who can only score 2 off the first 4 deliveries. Even when Ghosh picks the length early, Brown is disciplined in bowling to her field here. Her hard work results in a wild hoick by Harmanpreet taking the edge, but Healy puts the catch down! Not the easiest chance but she’s expected to take them without much of a fuss. Will Australia be made to rue the drop as India did in the first innings?
9.02 PM: Over 12 India 107-4 (Harmanpreet 35*, Ghosh 6*)
Schutt returns for her third over and straightaway concedes a wide, but Richa Ghosh is struggling to get settled just yet. Deceived by a slower loopy delivery, she mistimes and skips it completely but it falls in between mid-off and the deep fielders for two. Overall, India is still ahead of the run rate but this duo needs to continue the tone set by Rodrigues and keep chipping away at the target.
8.57 PM: Over 10.2 India 97-4 (Harmanpreet 33*) – India lose Jemima Rodrigues immediately after drinks break
Brown’s back on but Jemima Rodrigues’ exquisite innings continues, this time with a perfectly executed cover drive for four! In response, Brown drops it short and Rodrigues’ ramp shot proves to be her downfall, as she tamely nicks it to Healy! A soft dismissal to end a critical partnership.
8.52 PM: Over 10 India 93-3 (Rodrigues 39*, Harmanpreet 33*) – Rodrigues, Harmanpreet bossing Indian chase with high-quality partnership
Jemima kicks off Wareham’s second over with a beautiful shot over mid-off for four, and does it again three balls later! This pair is bossing the chase so far, Australia look to be running out of ideas as Wareham struggles to get into a good rhythm this over. Another expensive over for Australia, as captain Lanning, will need to rethink her bowling plans during the drinks break.
At the halfway stage, #TeamIndia are 93/3.
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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 23, 2023
8.49 PM: Over 9 India 80-3 (Rodrigues 27*, Harmanpreet 32*)
Jonassen continues her spell and keeps things tighter for Australia, compared to her first over, as India try to find the balance between keeping this 50-run partnership ticking without taking dangerous risks. A six-run over passes largely without incident, aside from a run-out half chance where the ball was thrown at the wrong end.
8.45 PM: Over 8 India 74-3 (Rodrigues 25*, Harmanpreet 28*)
Schutt returns and Harmanpreet reads her slower ball perfectly, getting down on one knee to deftly time the ball past fine leg for four! Schutt keeps the duo quiet for the rest of the over but the strike rotation continues, which India will take right now.
8.42 PM: Over 7 India 65-3 (Rodrigues 23*, Harmanpreet 21*)
Lanning brings on wrist spinner Georgia Wareham for her first over as Australia look to put the squeeze on India’s middle order who have been striking at 200. With the field more spread out following the end of the powerplay, the over goes decently for Wareham but Rodrigues and Harmanpreet take every potential single on offer. India remains ahead of the required run rate,
8.38 PM: Over 6 India 59-3 (Rodrigues 20*, Harmanpreet 18*) – India’s counterattack in full swing as Rodrigues, Harmanpreet strike at 200
Australia’s indiscipline continues with spinner Jess Jonassen conceding a wide first up. How much will these extras cost Australia come the end of the innings? Fortunately for the defending champions, Jonassen is more disciplined for the rest of the over. But Harmanpreet is well aware of the task at hand and picks Jonassen’s length early, taking a few steps down the pitch to smash a full delivery over wide long on for six! A dozen off that over as this semifinal is on a knife edge.
After losing three early wickets, @JemiRodrigues & @ImHarmanpreet steady ship for #TeamIndia with a fine 50-run partnership.
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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 23, 2023
8.34 PM: Over 5 India 47-3 (Rodrigues 16*, Harmanpreet 11*) – Rodrigues, Harmanpreet lead India’s counterattack
Allrounder Ellyse Perry comes on and immediately oversteps, giving India a much needed free hit respite, and Jemima makes it count with a flat-batted four over long-on! Captain Harmanpreet, who had gotten off the mark with a boundary, is matching this aggression too, punishing Perry for bowling down the leg side with another four to fine leg! Thanks to the extras, Perry concedes 13 runs off her first 4 balls but recovers in her last 2. India is ahead of the required rate, but need to make this counter-attacking partnership count.
8.27 PM: Over 3.4 India 28-3 (Rodrigues 10*) – OUT! Yastika throws away her wicket amid scoreboard pressure
Darcie Brown replaces Schutt but starts her spell poorly with three wides off her first four deliveries. When she does find her line though, Yastika is unable to find the gaps on the off-side. She then uses her feet and again hits it to an infielder, before some complete confusion ensues. Yastika has crumbled under the slightest of scoreboard pressure here, as Yastika is run out by miles! Disaster for India!
8.21 PM: Over 3 India 26-2 (Yastika 4*, Rodrigues 10*) – Yastika, Jemima target boundaries after early wickets
This is an excellent shot selection from new batters Yastika and Jemima amid the early dismissals. An over after Yastika had smashed Schutt for four, Jemima followed it up with consecutive boundaries against Gardner, who concedes another 10 runs despite taking the all-important wicket.
8.19 PM: Over 2.2 India 15-2 (Yastika 4*) – OUT! India lose both openers to LBWs within powerplay
Gardner continues her new ball duties despite conceding 10 runs off her first and induces two dots from Mandhana, who then rocks back to attempt a cut but is pegged back with an arm ball that seems to hit pad before bat. Gardner goes up in appeal, the umpire doesn’t agree so Australia review, and indeed, it does hit bat first. Three reds mean India’s in-form batter Mandhana has to go!
8.14 PM: Over 1.2 India 11-1 (Mandhana 2*) – OUT! Schutt pegs back India early as Shafali is out LBW
Australia’s star seamer and the tournament’s joint-highest wicket-taker Megan Schutt shares the new ball and makes an instant impact, rapping Shafali on the pads as the umpire raises her finger. Shafali reviews the decision, there’s no bat involved but India retain the review as it is “umpire’s call” on hitting the stumps. India lose their first as Schutt celebrates!
8.10 PM: Over 1 India 10-0 (Shafali 9*, Mandhana 1*) – Shafali shows intent to get India off to a flyer in a steep chase
Having seen the low swing and seam movement off the pitch over the past 90 minutes, captain Lanning has decided to entrust off-spinner Gardner with the new ball. Shafali Varma is showing positive intent early on, getting off the mark with three runs off the first two balls. Smriti Mandhana can’t beat the infield with her attempted sweep but turns the strike over with a flick to deep midwicket, and Varma does the same the very next ball. And Shafali Varma brilliantly scores India’s first boundary of the chase, getting down on one knee and sweeping Gardner for four over midwicket! A near-perfect start for India.
8.02 PM: A gargantuan, 18-run overtakes Australia past 170 and India will have to play out of their skins against a star-studded
Australian bowling attack to record a historic upset and reach the final. India will be disappointed with the amateurish efforts put in by many of the fielders as Australia never really looked to be under scoreboard pressure. A steady start by openers Healy and Mooney was followed by a beautiful cameo from Gardner before captain Lanning found her timing to finish things off. Shikha Pandey was the pick of the bowlers for India with 2-32 off her 4 overs, while Renuka Singh Thakur endured the majority of the death over hitting from the Australians.
Innings Break!
Australia post a total of 172/4 on the board.#TeamIndia chase coming up shortly.
Scorecard – https://t.co/fVVsNjFbjU #INDvAUS #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/psJSmlqXyF
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 23, 2023
7.57 PM: Over 20 Australia 172-4 (Lanning 49*, Perry 2*) – Thakur endures torrid day as Lanning plunders two sixes off final over
Renuka Singh Thakur’s day has gone from bad to worse, thanks to a rubbish nearly waist-high full toss that Lanning finds to be perfectly in her arc, so she gleefully swings her bat and hits the ball over square leg for six! Thakur executes her yorker a tad better in the second delivery but Lanning is just swinging at everything now, getting an inside edge that evades Ghosh for four! As was the case in the powerplay, Thakur improves on her execution as the over goes on, conceding just a leg bye off Lanning and a single off Perry. The final ball, however, is another full toss, to which Lanning responds by playing the shot of the match over deep square leg for six!
7.50 PM: Over 19 Australia 154-4 (Lanning 33*, Perry 1*) OUT! Pandey pegs back Australia at death with Harris wicket
Pandey has once again shown herself to be India’s star performer with the ball today. While she concedes two boundaries to Lanning and Harris, she dismisses the latter who plays all around a slower delivery in the slot that keeps low and cannons into off stump!
7.47 PM: Over 17.5 Australia 141-3 (Lanning 28*) OUT! Deepti Sharma puts end to Ashleigh Gardner’s onslaught
It may have come an over too late for India, but Deepti Sharma has finally delivered an excellent over at the death, dismissing the aggressive Gardner with a full flighted ball that dips, beating her attempted drive. A massive breakthrough!
Ashleigh Gardner is bowled by Deepti Sharma for 31.
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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 23, 2023
7.44 PM: Over 17 Australia 137-2 (Lanning 25*, Gardner 30*) – Gardner attempts to take the match away single-handedly
It’s well and truly the Ashleigh Gardner show now, as her strike rate reaches 200 with Thakur being her next victim. A leg side full toss gets the treatment through a boundary to a deep backward square leg, before a full ball outside off stump is driven past a despairing Deepti at long-off. Another overgoing at more than 10 runs means that Australia are fast approaching that 150 barriers that their bowling attack is more than capable of defending.
7.40 PM: Over 16 Australia 126-2 (Lanning 24*, Gardner 20*) – Gardner takes the innings by the scruff of its neck
Australia are looking well-set for an excellent score thanks to the intent shown by this duo! Gardner has now identified Radha Yadav as the second bowler whose figures she can ruin, with a high-quality slog sweep over cow corner, followed by a lofted drive towards deep cover for consecutive fours. She is trying to hit every ball to the boundary now and luck is on her side, top-edging the ball through a wide slog sweep that sails over Ghosh’s head for a single.
7.36 PM: Over 15 Australia 113-2 (Lanning 23*, Gardner 8*) – Rana put to the sword as Aussies target big finish
Rana on to complete her spell and unfortunately, for her, Lanning has finally unleashed with a spot-on sweep shot to a full delivery on leg stump that races past deep midwicket for four! Australia are showing more intent at last, in order to secure a big finish in these final six overs. And they’re getting it with Rana’s non-threatening leg side deliveries, as Gardner gets in on the action, with a four to fine leg. Lanning then completes the over with a third boundary, giving herself room, piercing the finest of gaps in the offside infield with a cut shot!
7.33 PM: Over 14 Australia 99-2 (Lanning 14*, Gardner 3*) – Radha provides tight over but India’s poor fielding continues
Lanning is struggling to hit the ball off the square compared to her opener teammates and can largely only rotate the strike with Gardner. It doesn’t help her case that Radha has hit her stride and is giving little away in terms of easy scoring opportunities but the same can’t be said for the Indian fielders, as the odd fumbles are still seen in the outfield, despite the absence of boundaries this over.
7.30 PM: Over 13 Australia 94-2 (Lanning 10*, Gardner 2*)
The captain Lanning is now joined by Ashleigh Gardner, one of the best allrounders in international women’s cricket, with the duo looking to both bounce back and target a big score. Rana continues her spell and remains a tad wayward with her deliveries but is saved from conceding a boundary thanks to a brilliant dive from Radha Yadav. Rana’s regulation full offbreak then nearly induces a stumping but Ghosh is again not fast enough to finish the job as Lanning is just about able to bring her back down on the ground behind the crease. All in all, however, a much needed tight over from Rana.
7.24 PM: Over 11.5 Australia 88-2 (Lanning 7*) – OUT! Shikha Pandey removes in-form Mooney
This is stunning, simply stunning strokeplay from Mooney, as she first converts a wide full delivery into a full-toss by simply guiding it past point for four, before getting as creative as India men’s T20 star Suryakumar Yadav to play a reverse ramp shot over short third for consecutive fours! It’s a well-deserved fifty for Mooney as a result, but Pandey has the last laugh! It’s far from a brilliant delivery from Pandey but the change of pace of the offcutter means that Mooney, looking to find the gap, mistimes it straight to Shafali Varma, who doesn’t drop it this time.
7.19 PM: Over 11 Australia 78-1 (Mooney 44*, Lanning 7*) – Australia slowly up the ante with Mooney’s fours
Rana resumes proceedings following the drinks break and seems to improve on her lengths but Mooney has long since gotten her eye in. Perhaps buoyed by all these fielding fumbles, Mooney dances down the pitch again to play a perfect inside out shot to a full ball outside off stump over wide long off for four! Crucially, Mooney and Lanning are also no longer playing out dots, and are rotating the strike for the rest of the over to build on this platform.
7.14 PM: Over 10 Australia 69-1 (Mooney 37*, Lanning 5*) – India’s shambolic fielding continues as Shafali shells simple catch
The wicket-taker Radha Yadav is on for her second but overpitches wide of Mooney, who converts it into a full-toss and smacks a boundary over wide long-on. And the hapless attempts at completing regulation catches by India continue as well. This time it’s Mooney who receives a let-off and another four as she uses her feet again to play a skied drive shot straight down Shafali Varma’s throat at long-on, but she spills it and the ball goes to the boundary off one bounce. Radha is not pleased in the slightest, and for good reason. India are being outplayed despite inducing so many mistakes from Australia’s top order.
7.09 PM: Over 9 Australia 59-1 (Mooney 28*, Lanning 4*) – India rue Ghosh’s dropped catch, sloppy fielding continues
Sneh Rana comes on for some offbreaks and immediately draws the outside edge of Meg Lanning but Richa Ghosh is too slow to take the catch. How crucial will this missed chance be? Lanning then gets two off yet another misfield, and it also turns out to be a front-foot no-ball from Rana. Oh dear, when it rains, it pours, for India in this over. Fortunately for Rana, Lanning cannot make the most of the free hit, providing catching practice to short midwicket. Overall, it’s just five runs off the over but an eventful one with an egregious dropped catch by India.
7.03 PM: Over 7.3 Australia 52-1 (Mooney 26*) OUT! Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh get a breakthrough with stumping
Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav on for her first and is sent packing for four by Mooney, but she gets the all-important first wicket for India as the dangerous Healy has to walk back to the dressing room! She attempted to dance down the pitch again to a wider fuller ball but it drifted away just enough for her to miss it completely. Richa Ghosh makes no mistake behind the stumps.
Radha Yadav gets the first breakthrough as Alyssa Healy departs for 25 runs.
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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 23, 2023
7 PM: Over 7 Australia 47-0 (Healy 25*, Mooney 21*) – Shikha Pandey keeps it tight against Aussie openers
Pandey continues her spell and seems to be the pick of India’s bowlers despite not creating many wicket-taking opportunities, as she continues to bowl largely wicket-to-wicket inswingers. Even attempts at aggressive footwork by the openers don’t dent Pandey’s economy rate as the soon-to-be Delhi Capitals seamer concedes just four runs.
6.56 PM: Over 6 Australia 43-0 (Healy 23*, Mooney 19*)
Deepti to close out the powerplay, and after regaining the strike from Mooney, Healy gets down on her knees to play a cheeky paddle sweep. All she appears to do is get some glove on the ball but Deepti appeals for LBW and India go for the review, which is wasted due to the glove’s contact with the ball. Some decent fielding prevents a boundary off the third ball but Mooney has finally come to the boundary, dancing down the pitch to smash Australia’s first six of the innings over wide long-off. The final delivery is again shorter and wider, and Mooney hits this to the cover infielder, who misfields, gifting Australia an easy two.
6.51 PM: Over 5 Australia 31-0 (Healy 20*, Mooney 10*) – Australian openers build solid start in powerplay
Seamer Shikha Pandey replaces Thakur in the powerplay and starts with a series of full deliveries in search of even a little more swing than what Thakur could manage. There doesn’t appear to be a significant difference on that front but her intelligent changes of pace and variations in lengths mean that neither Healy nor Mooney can score a single boundary off this over. The only misstep from Shikha? A short and wide third delivery.
Australia have made a solid start to the semi-final 🏏
Both openers are still out in the middle at the end of the Powerplay.
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— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 23, 2023
6.46 PM: Over 4 Australia 26-0 (Healy 19*, Mooney 7*) – Alyssa Healy punishes poor start to Deepti Sharma’s spell
Deepti kicks off her second over with one of the worst deliveries of the tournament, a rank short and wide darter gift that Healy is more than happy to receive, slapping it between mid-off and extra cover for four! Deepti’s second deliver is similarly awful but Healy cannot get it past the infield. Deepti seems to be avoiding giving any flight to the ball but the lines and lengths are all wrong to start with, but she course corrects excellently on the third and fourth deliveries, not allowing Healy to free her arms. As a result, she only concedes 5 for the over.
6.42 PM: Over 3 Australia 21-0 (Healy 14*, Mooney 7*) – Australia openers capitalise on lack of swing offered by Newlands pitch
Thakur on for her second over but Healy is more confident now due to the lack of lateral movement, as pointed out by commentator Ian Bishop, and dances down the pitch to dispatch Thakur’s first ball over mid-on for four! With the swing today so far just 0.4 degrees compared to the tournament average of 1.3 degrees, Healy and Mooney are getting well set far earlier than most batters have done in the last couple of weeks. As such, the remainder of Thakur’s over sees more of the same knocking around to build this partnership and give nothing away to the fielding side.
6.39 PM: Over 2 Australia 14-0 (Healy 8*, Mooney 6*)
Offspin allrounder Deepti Sharma shares new ball duties with Mooney at the crease and keeps it tight, as Mooney simply turns the strike back over to Healy. The rest of the over features a few too many short and wide deliveries but Deepti largely gets away with it, until the final delivery, as Mooney pierces the gap between short third and gully for another boundary.
6.33 PM: Over 1 Australia 6-0 (Healy 6*, Mooney 0*) – Healy kicks off semifinal with boundary off Thakur’s bowling
The national anthems are over as Healy and Mooney walk to the crease and Thakur takes the new ball. And it’s a freebie straightaway, a wide half volley which Healy perfectly times to the cover boundary for four! Thakur adjusts her lines and lengths for the next few deliveries but cannot extract her signature swing off this pitch so far. So she pulls her lengths back further and its a disciplined end to the over.