Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Another agonising defeat for Indians to the gold standard of women’s cricket

Australia is probably the one side that feels the most ‘at home’ in World events, particularly in a World Cup that has thrown people and teams out of their comfort zones.

Having the last laugh: Maintaining a scary winning streak in the World Cups, getting through captaincy changes and building a formidable squad, the Aussies are the gold standard in the women’s game. | Photo Credit: AP

A win streak of 15 T20 World Cup games. Unbeaten in the tournament since 2020. Four wins out of four games in their pool in the current edition. A Net Run Rate in the pink of health (+2.223).

Australia is probably the one side that feels the most ‘at home’ in World events, particularly in a World Cup that has thrown people and teams out of their comfort zones.

Well in control of its semifinal bid, the Aussies faced India in the final group game for both teams.

The cricketing gods decided to throw in a curveball to spice things up. Australia skipper Alyssa Healy, a character arterial to this India vs Australia rivalry, was left walking with crutches after picking up a foot injury in their win against Pakistan.

Grace Harris, who was dismissed for a golden duck against New Zealand, opened alongside Beth Mooney. Darcie Brown came in for Tayla Vlaeminck, who had dislocated her shoulder before she could bowl her first ball of the tournament.

Australia’s Beth Mooney, right, and Australia’s Grace Harris talk on the pitch as they bat during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Sharjah Stadium. | Photo Credit: AP

The energies on the field were as different as chalk and cheese. The Indians were upbeat, noisy almost.

The Aussies, at the other end, were muted. A serious huddle and a few tight hugs later, they were off to set a target for a desperate Indian side to chase. Healy was getting in some last-minute chats with the bowlers.

“She’s such a passionate cricketer that she wanted to be involved in every single aspect. She was in our meeting today when we were working out match-ups and that, and from all reports she was a very painful watcher who just wanted to be out there and wanted to be involved,” stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath said after the game.

India faced an undesirable hiccup of its own when Asha Sobhana injured her knee just before the anthems were sung. Radha Yadav was sent in to take her place while the management ran the swap by the opponent.

RELATED: Asha Sobhana injured ahead of IND vs AUS, Radha Yadav comes in as replacement

Brick by brick

Australia showed remarkable awareness of the speed limit for scoring runs at this venue. Go too fast too early and they risked a batting crash, orchestrated by Renuka Singh.

Mooney and Georgia Wareham fell early, which meant the air around Harris got twice as hot. The allrounder then decided to dial down the tempo, stitching together a 62-run stand from 54 deliveries with McGrath.

Sweet early success: Renuka Singh of India celebrates taking the wicket of Georgia Wareham of Australia during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Any advantage India ceded through fielding lapses and dropped catches– at least five lifelines through the innings – was at risk of being cancelled out by India’s potent 12th man - the crowd.

“For us, it’s almost about trying to ignore the crowd at times because they can make you seem like you’re behind the game when you maybe might not be,” McGrath said after the game.

The nerves of the occasion got to India too. Deepti Sharma dropped Harris in the ninth over but tested her aplenty with deliveries turning into middle and leg, cramping Harris for space.

While India allowed the Aussies room to run, there were 22 dot balls in the first seven overs. McGrath and Harris managed to step on the gas and get Australia to 65 for two at the halfway stage.

Foot on the gas: McGrath of Australia plays a shot during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match against India at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

As the floodlights flickered and the music blared to entertain spectators, India head coach Amol Muzumdar was in the ear of his captain and her deputy. They needed to unsettle the opponent.

Escalation

McGrath emerged from Renuka’s last over, and a review for LBW, unscathed. After copping a ball to the leg, India subbed Renuka with Sajeevan Sajana, a better fielder. Strategic? Not bad at all, if it was.

Radha, who wasn’t even supposed to bowl in this game, brought India a much-needed breakthrough on her third try. The first was dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur at short cover. An elevation sans distance off the next ball also landed safely beyond her. The Aussie skipper then came down the track hoping to go big once again but missed and was stumped by Richa.

Reprieve at last: Radha Yadav of India celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of McGrath of Australia at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

But Australia backs power with power. Off went McGrath, and in came Ellyse Perry. Soon, Harris departed too, with Deepti doing the honours. It was a tall ask, expecting two new batters - Perry and Ashleigh Gardner – to open the dam quickly on a surface like this.

Pooja, who got smacked down the ground for four, banked on her short ball to remove Gardner, with help from Radha at cover.

Harmanpreet’s acrobatics on the field worsened the discomfort in her neck (which had forced her to not field at all against Sri Lanka). Smriti took charge of the field from that point as her captain drooped a little due to the pain.

In the 17th over, Litchfield – going for the reverse sweep with a very switch-hit-like stance change – took a hit to the pads. Sue Redfern immediately raised her finger, Litchfield was halfway back despite Perry convincing her to review. After a long replay, the decision was overturned.

Perry quickly put her arm around Litchfield. That delivery needed to be forgotten and the duo needed to go all out. From 127 for five at the end of that over, Australia finished with 151 for eight.

Harman and the Aussies

Knowing the downside of batting fourth on a wicket baking under the hot Sharjah sun, Shafali Verma and Smriti started their chase with trepidation for the first over and a half.

By the end of the PowerPlay, both openers were gone, courtesy of the spin duo of Gardner and Sophie Molineux. Jemimah, too, began with aggression but could only last for 12 balls, Megan Schutt craftily using the short ball to trigger a dismissal.

Start of the decline: Ashleigh Gardner of Australia celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of opener Shafali Verma. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

It came down to Harmanpreet and Deepti, with India needing 104 runs from 78 balls.

The Australians knew who they were dealing with in Harmanpreet. No one had obsessed about her unbeaten 171 in the 2017 World Cup semifinal more than them.

Mooney, more recently, had seen a truncated version of ‘Harmonster’ (as the moniker goes for when she goes on a rampage) in the Women’s Premier League earlier this year when she scored an unbeaten 95 off just 48 balls for Mumbai Indians against Mooney’s side Gujarat Giants.

“She controls run chases unbelievably well,” McGrath said, in reflection. “When Harman’s at the wicket in a run chase, you never feel fully in control because she can just go through the gears really quickly and take a game away from you.”

It took eight-and-a-half overs to break the 63-run stand between this pair when Molineux sent Deepti back. Richa then departed cheaply, again.

Schutt was imperious in that over – the game’s 17th – giving away just one run, an over McGrath would hail as crucial to the win, especially in a game that saw even the Aussies put down two catches and concede four wides and a no ball.

India needed 41 runs from 24 balls. Harmanpreet had done far more with far less. From striking at under 100 at one point, she turned the knob a few levels higher and took on Gardner, with back-to-back fours in the 18th over. It came down to the last over with 14 runs needed for a win.

Alas, the old tale was told once more. Nerves ruled all as India lost four wickets in six balls with Harmanpreet helplessly watching at the other end.

Another Australia clash, another loss: Harmanpreet walks off the field after the loss in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Sharjah Stadium, United Arab Emirates. | Photo Credit: AP

McGrath entrusted Annabel Sutherland with the ball. She first ripped through Pooja’s stumps. Arundhati Reddy, the new batter tasked with getting her captain back on strike, then sacrificed her wicket. Sutherland was shrewd as she went full, allowing Harmanpreet no room to get the ball across the fence.

RELATED: Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Australia dents India’s semifinal hopes with nine-run win

Her next delivery was wide, but a mix-up in the middle saw Mooney catch Shreyanka Patil short of her crease. Radha, who came in next, walked back as quickly as she walked when a full-length ball copped on her pads. All Renuka could do was a single off the last ball of the innings.

“I asked Bellsy (Sutherland) how her heart rate was after that last over and she said, ‘I’m fine. I’m chill’,” McGrath revealed. Great way to sum up this outfit’s brand of cricket. Cool, composed, catastrophic.

Plenty of what ifs

Australia has bested India by the barest of margins one too many times in the recent past. In 2022, the Aussies denied India the joy of a Commonwealth Games gold medal by beating Harmanpreet and Co. by nine runs.

Last year, India was ousted from the T20 World Cup after a five-run loss to Meg Lanning’s Australia in the semifinal. The match in Sharjah, like its previous close losses, could have been India’s game. But it was left with a long list of ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’ yet again.

So close yet so far: India lost by nine runs in another agonising defeat to Australia in a match that could have seen it secure a win. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

But this moment belongs to Australia alone. Maintaining a scary winning streak in the World Cups, getting through captaincy changes and building a formidable squad, the Aussies are the gold standard in the women’s game.