View source for World Cup (cricket), women’s: India

===Australia beats India in the finals===
[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F03%2F09&entity=Ar01913&sk=5F8973F0&mode=text  March 9, 2020: ''The Times of India'']
[[File: Scoreboard, India vs Australia- Women’s T20 World Cup, 2020.jpg|Scoreboard, India vs Australia: Women’s T20 World Cup, 2020 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F03%2F09&entity=Ar01913&sk=5F8973F0&mode=text  March 9, 2020: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]

India saved their worst for the last as a brutal Australian side outclassed them by 85 runs for an unprecedented fifth T20 World Cup triumph in a final that promised much but delivered very little.

Batting first after the coin landed in Meg Lanning’s favour, Australia came out in scintillating fashion with their openers Alyssa Healy (75 off 39 balls) and Beth Mooney (78 off 54 balls) laying the foundation with a 115-run partnership in double quick time.

Stirred up by the grand occasion, their onslaught fired Australia to a formidable total of 184 for four in the stipulated 20 overs.
Overwhelmed by the occasion, India crumbled to 99 all out in front of a turnout of 86,174 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, a record in women’s cricket history.

What worked in the home team’s favour was that their openers easily neutralised the threat posed by the in-form spinner Poonam Yadav (1/30 in 4 overs) by playing percentage cricket while taking the likes of medium-pacer Shikha Pandey and Deepti Sharma to the cleaners.

Pandey was smashed for 52 runs in her four overs. Half the battle was won there for the formidable Australians, who, in stark contrast to India, saved their best for the last.
The manner and magnitude of the defeat, including a few sub plots, were reminiscent of the 2003 men’s World Cup final when Ricky Ponting’s Australia thrashed Sourav Ganguly’s India in an anti-climactic title clash.

Like Zaheer Khan in his opening over at the Wanderers against Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, Deepti Sharma was overcome by nerves when up against Mooney and Healy, who blasted massive sixes as the beaming husband and Aussie left-arm quick Mitchell Starc watched from the stands.

The match was as good as over when India were 18/3 in the fourth over, which became four for 4/30 when skipper Harmanpreet Kaur departed and 58/5 when Veda Krishnamurthy was taking the long walk back.

Earlier, Mooney and Healy rode on dropped chances to smash blistering fifties and power Australia to a challenging 184 for four. Mooney topscored for Australia but it was Healy, who took to the attack after being dropped in the fifth ball of the innings by Shafali Verma off Deepti Sharma.

Healy’s 39-balls innings was laced with seven fours and five hits over the fence. Healy and Mooney shared 115 runs in 11.5 overs for the opening wicket to give Australia a flying start after opting to bat first.

Just like Healy, Mooney too cashed in on a dropped chance —caught and bowled opportunity by Rajeshwari Gayakwad in the fourth over — to punish India. Thankfully, for India, their slow bowlers pulled things back a bit and restricted Aussies. PTI