World Cup (cricket), women’s: India
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World Cup
1978
Sharmila Ganesan, Nov 14, 2023: The Times of India
Forgotten heroes: Veterans recall India’s first women’s WC
Kanyaon ki cricket hogi, zaroor aaiye”. The year England hosted the world’s first-ever women’s cricket world cup, this was the sound Lucknow’s bylanes heard blaring from a rickshaw. Microphone in hand, Mahendra Kumar Sharma aka Sharmaji, a softball coach in his 20s—was luring the locals to the Uttar Pradesh capital for the first all-women cricket match. Eager to watch players in white skirts, around two hundred, chiefly boys, turned up at a local girls’ college in 1973. Five years later, around 30,000 would show up at stadiums in Calcutta, Patna, Delhi and Hyderabad to watch Indian kanyas compete with Australia, New Zealand and England.
Barely five years after Sharma registered the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI), an English player would watch her cricket whites being washed in Indian waters. Not many know that India not only took part participated in but also hosted the second women’s WC. “It was decided that India was the best possible venue to host the tournament as no other country would be able to pull any sort of crowd,” writes Suprita Das in her book ‘Free Hit: The Story of Women’s Cricket in India’ about the ODI world tournament which came two years after Indian women cricketers toured Australia and New Zealand in 1976.
By then, Bombay had long boasted its own kanyaon ki cricket and its own female version of Sharmaji. Aloo Bamjee—a hand fantoting Cricket Club of India member—had acquainted the city’s softball-playing young girls with the season ball in the late 1960s. The circulars she sent out to schools and colleges drew a motley of schoolgirls schoolgoing siblings and busy bankers aged 16-23. Trained under the hawk eye of legends such as Mohinder Amarnath, the women players—including the likes of Diana Edulji and Shobha Pandit—would soon become household names.
Newspapers referred to the players as “the Eves” then. Funds didn’t come the way of the Eves as easily as comments did. Bats had to be raised to silence crude re marks on the street, kits had to be shared and compliments earned. “Do they bowl like men or do they just throw the ball at the wicket? Do they have special light bat and ball? Are they capable of hitting a boundary?” were among the questions those who did not witness India’s first national women’s cricket tournament in 1973 in Pune asked those who did. They were stunned when told that Pandit and Edulji not only cut and drove the ball to the boundary but also that batter Meena Thakkar lifted the ball so high during the tournament that it deserved a six.
“We are not trying to ape the men. We play to our own standards,” English Women Cricket Association’s secretary Anne Sanders had said months ahead of the first women’s cricket WC, which also happened to be the world’s first cricket WC. Held in the UK two months before the men’s championship, it included teams from England, Australia, NZ, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. While the Indian women’s London dreams did not materialise that year, 14 teams travelled in unreserved bogies during the locomotive strike in December 1973 to compete in the second nationals at Varanasi.
Soon, Bombay-born Kath McGready found would find herself in India for a tournament in February 1975 as part of the U-25 Australian squad which drew all the Tests played. Later, India travelled to Australia and NZ for a tour, generating enough buzz—some reports say—to cause India to be picked as hosts of the second WC. “It was the first time we were playing in a major event with so many teams,” recalls former leg spinner Shubhangi Kulkarni about the four-country championship that saw players from England, Australia and NZ teams flying down.
While India had to get used to playing in the ODI format, the other players adjusted easily to facing performing in front of 30,000-strong spectators. “The other teams were more experienced since women’s cricket in those countries had begun much earlier and they had played more international cricket. They were also much stronger and fitter than us, which gave them an advantage in running between the wickets and fielding. Since they practised on better quality grounds, their fielding was much better. I thought we had better cricketing skills. Technically, our batters were wellequipped and our spin bowlers were better than any other. But fitness and strength were the areas we needed to work on,” says Kulkarni.
In a retrospective inter view, English player Megan Lear recounted that on a journey by train to the practice ground, the team saw the allwhites they had handed to the hotel laundry being washed in a the local river and laid out to dry on the rocks. “WCAI provided us with the full attire,” recalls Kolkata-based Gargi Banerjee, the former teenage ‘12th man’ who played in the middle order in during the WC. Despite the lack of sponsors, the WC tournament went off smoothly, though in the middle of India’s last game against Australia, Edulji reportedly went and collected the gate money in cash from the organisers—the result of negotia tions with the WCAI, which had not paid the players for the last few matches, mentions Das in her book.
Though India The nation lost all the group matches and saw Australia exacted revenge for their first WC defeat against England by taking home the trophy in Hyderabad., Pandit got a chance to hold the trophy while the team travelled in a packed train from Calcutta to Patna for a match. It looked very much like the men’s World Cup trophy, says Pandit, recalling the time before Kapil Dev lifted the prize aloft in Lord’s.
“The women cricketers slog it out with no returns at all. We are not paid a penny for a Test match. If retained as skipper and given proper facilities along with the best side, I assure you we can bring the World Cup home,” wrote Edulji before the fourth women’s cricket world cup in Australia in 1988, which saw players wearing chest numbers for the first time. Disillusionment set in after India was not cleared for the fourth women’s cricket WC in Australia in 1988that tournament. “The prospects couldn’t be gloomier,” Edulji mourned in 1992 when empty coffers, elusive promoters and dwindling players meant that women’s cricket suffered a retreat.
The lack of international tours between 1986 and 1991, apart from paucity of support from the government and WCAI, caused desperate cries for a merger with BCCI. Meanwhile, a change of guard meant that Madrasbased Quest Marketing Pvt Ltd was appointed as sponsor of the Indian team for the 1993 women’s WC in England, which saw the nation finish fourth among eight teams. Four years later, 80,000 would turn up at Calcutta’s Eden Gardens for the finals between Australia and NZ when India hosted the sixth World Cup and found itself ousted in the semi-finals. Besides a grand closing ceremony, highlights of this 1997 edition included verbal dismissals by players such as Australian Belinda Clark who broke a number of records. When a reporter asked if she received tips from men, Clark replied: “On the contrary, I offer tips to them.” Today, many years after BCCI’s merger with WCAI in the mid-90s, the fortunes of the women’s game extend much beyond floodlights, flights and physio on call. “If I were asked to lead the Indian side today, I would do what the Australians did,” says Pandit, referring to the prematch kitty ritual she observed while befriending batters such as Deborah Martin and Lynette Smith in her time. “I would have the team pool in money for a kitty that is distributed among players as a bonus for good batting, bowling and fielding. A player that does not do well loses out on the pocket money they get for the day,” she says. “It teaches you to fight back.”
2022
India beats Pakistan
POOJA, SNEH GET THE GIRLS GOING
India captain Mithali Raj became only the 3rd cricketer & the first woman to appear in 6 World Cups, joining Sachin Tendulkar & Javed Miandad, as the women notched up their 11th ODI win against Pak since 2005 Pooja Vastrakar (67) became the 1st player to score a half century at number 8 or lower in a World Cup match. Her 122-run record stand with Sneh Rana (53 n. o. ) is the 1st century partnership for the 7th wkt in women’s WC
India beats Windies
Gaurav Gupta, March 13, 2022: The Times of India
Pulling back no punches in a game they needed to win to stay on track for a spot in thesemifinals, India, riding on centuries by Smriti Mandhana (119, 123b, 13x4, 2x6) and Harmanpreet Kaur (109, 107b, 10x4, 2x6) crushed the WestIndies by 155 runs in their Women’s ODI World Cupmatch, at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. The strong bond between Mandhana and Harmanpreet, who made batting look effortless during their record 184-run stand in182 balls for the fourth wicket — the highest partnership for India in a Women’sWorld Cup game — came to the fore whenthe champion left-hander, who was announced as the Player of the Match, in abeautiful, laudable gesture, told the commentators that she wanted toshare her award with Harmanpreet.
“Harman deserved theaward equally. The ICC, I believe, has enough budget to giveboth of us separate trophies,”Mandhana said with a giggle. Hurting after the 62-run defeat against New Zealand onThursday, India responded witha resounding victory — theirsecond in the competition —which saw them gallop to the top of the table, beforethey face England at Wellington on March 16. TheWest Indies, on the other hand tasted their firstdefeat in the tournament, after having beaten bigguns New Zealand and England.
The match also saw two of India’s biggest women’s cricket legends achieve new landmarks in theirepic careers — while skipper Mithali Raj, currently in a midst of a rare slump, led Indiato a 24th win in the World Cup, themaximum by an a captain, veteranseamer Jhulan Goswami become thehighest wicket-taker in the historyof the tournament when she captured her 40th scalp in her fifth WorldCup, dismissing Anisa Mohammed. Likein the case of Pakistan, India have the wood overthe Caribbean women in World Cups — havingbeaten them all seven times in the competition. Before this game, India women’s team coachRamesh Powar had exhorted his team’s seniors totake more responsibility. He also wanted his toporder to show more intent after India had playedas many as 156 dot balls against New Zealand.
His words seemed to have worked like magic,as, Yastika Bhatia (31) gave India, who chose to batfirst, a flying start. However, once she was outcaught and bowled by Selman, India slipped to 78for three. However, Mandhana and Harmanpreet,stitched together a magnificent stand to help theirteam finish at an imposing 317. It was the first timethat India crossed 300 in the tournament’s history.
Brief scores:
India 317-8 in 50 overs (S. Mandhana123, H. Kaur 109; A. Mohammed 2-59) vs West Indies162 all out in 40. 3 overs (D. Dottin 62, H. Matthews 43;S. Rana 3-22).
India beats Bangladesh
Manuja Veerappa, March 23, 2022: The Times of India
A pivotal aspect of sport is teamwork and in five games before Tuesday, it was an essential ingredient missing in India’s Women’s World Cup campaign. The last edition finalists went into their penultimate league outing against Bangladesh in Hamilton with their backs to the wall. Nothing but a big win would suffice to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts alive and they delivered as a team when it mattered the most. Mithali Raj-led side ticked many boxes en route to a resounding 110-run win over the Nigar Sultana’s team. The win not only boosted their net run rate to 0. 768, it also helped them climb to the third spot in the points table behind toppers Australia and South Africa.
India scored 229 for 7 in 50 overs with the help of Yastika Bhatika’s half-century (50, 80b, 2x4), opener Shafali Verma’s run-a-ball 42 (6x4, 1x6) and useful contributions from Richa Ghosh (26), Pooja Vastrakar (30 n. o) and Sneh Rana (27). The spinners, led by off-spinner Sneh who came up with her career-best figures of 4-30, then bowled out the opposition for 119 in 40. 3 overs. Opting to bat, India got off to their best start in the tournament with Smriti Mandhana (30) and Shafali at the crease. They got off to a rather sedate start with 25 runs coming off the first eight overs. The openers broke the shackles in the ninth over with the introduction of left-arm spinner Nahida Akter (2/42). Off the second delivery, a fuller one, Shafali went down to slog sweep it over long on for a maximum. Two balls later, the youngster again went low to find the mid-wicket boundary. In the next over Shafali again picked up three boundaries off Jahanara Alam to bring up India’s 50 in the 10th over. Their association of 74 runs was halted by Nahida when Mandhana pulled towards backward square leg and found Fargana Hoque. This led to a top-order collapse with Shafali, stumped by Sultana off Ritu Moni (3/37), and skipper Mithali (0) heading back to the dugout in the same over. Harmanpreet Kaur (14) was run out before Richa and Pooja began their rescue act with their 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket. India went without a boundary for 11 overs before Pooja found the gap through extra cover off Salma Khatun in the 47th over to bring up India’s 200. Sneh then joined the part with her 23-ball 27 cameo.
Bangladesh were off to a disastrous start with spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad striking the first blow, sending back opener Sharmin Akhter. The top order then fell like a pack of cards. With Pooja (2/26) and Sneh striking frequently, Bangladesh choked and were reduced to 5 for 35 by the 18th over. Salma Khatun (32) was the lone player to put up a fight. SCORES: India 229/7 (Smriti Mandhana 30, Shafali Verma 42, Yastika Bhatia 50, Richa Ghosh 26, Pooja Vastrakar 30 n. o, Sneh Rana 27; Ritu Moni 3-37, Nahida Akter 2-42) bt Bangladesh 119 in 40. 3 overs (Salma Khatun 32; Jhulan Goswami 2-19, P Vastrakar 2-26, Rana 4-30).
India exits World Cup After Last-Ball Defeat To South Africa
Manuja Veerappa, March 28, 2022: The Times of India
The emotions ran high at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday. India, finalists at the previous edition of the Women’s World Cup, exited the tournament by the smallest of margins. A spirited South Africa pulled-off a last-ball thriller to break a billion Indian hearts.
The final over of the contest was not for the faint-hearted. Chasing 275 for victory, South Africa needed seven runs off six balls, Mithali Raj tossed the ball to off-spinner Deepti Sharma, who nearly delivered. Trisha Chetty was run out off the second ball. With the equation down to three runs from two balls, Mignon du Preez (52 n. o), eyeing a winning shot, succeeded only in finding Harmanpreet Kaur at the long-on boundary. Even as the Indian players celebrated, agony awaited as Deepti had overstepped by a small margin. Du Preez then scored the winning runs as the teary-eyed Indians watched in dismay.
India’s three-wicket loss meant the West Indies qualified for the semifinals as the fourth team behind Australia, South Africa and England.
While the last-over was agonising, India were left with many ifs and buts in the last league outing. On a surface which delighted the batters, India were clearly 20 runs short. An in-form Shafali Verma’s (53, 46b, 8x4) run out in the 15th over following a mix-up with Smriti Mandhana (71, 84b, 6x4, 1x6) dipped the run rate. Another telling blow to their run rate was just 41 runs came off the last 10 overs of their innings, at a time when they should have accelerated.
Earlier, Smriti and Shafali gave India a solid start, blunting the South African attack with their stroke-filled association of 91 runs. Yastika Bhatia made a quick exit, but Mithali, playing her last match, steadied the innings with her 84-ball 68 (8x4). With Smriti, she put up 90 runs for the third wicket. Pacer Masabata Klass broke the well-settled partnership when Smriti miscued to Chloe Tryon, who dived to hold on to a difficult catch at mid-off.
Following Mithali’s dismissal in the 43rd over, India lost some quick wickets but Harmanpreet Kaur (48) held up one end as India finished at a healthy 274/7.
Harmanpreet’s (2/42) contribution did not end with the bat, she gave India crucial breakthroughs later with the ball. She excelled in the field as well. A direct hit from midwicket ensured opener Lizelle Lee was dismissed early in the chase. Laura Wolvaardt (80) and Lara Goodall (49) put SA back on track with their 125-run partnership, which hurt India’s chances.
Although they were guilty of running themselves out, the South African middle-order stood up for the count at crucial junctures to ensure they pulled off a record chase. For India, Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/61) was the only other bowler to pick up wickets. India missed the services of veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami, who sat out due to a side strain. It was the first time she missed a World Cup match in five editions. SCORES: India 274/7 (Smriti Mandhana 71, Mithali Raj 68, Shafali Verma 53; Masabata Klaas 2/38) lost to South Africa 275/7 (Laura Wolvaardt 80, Mignon du Preez 52; Harmanpreet Kaur 2/42).
T20 World Cup, Women’s
2020
India beat Australia
February 22, 2020: The Times of India
T20 WC Opener: Leggie Poonam Yadav Bowls India To Stunning Win Over Oz
Sydney:
Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav bowled a magical spell in her comeback game to steer India to a comfortable 17-run win over defending champions Australia in the opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Put in to bat, India struggled to a below par 132 before Poonam (4/19 in 4 overs) foxed the Aussies with her googlies, turning the match decisively into her team’s favour. Australia, who have won the competition four times in six editions, were all out for 115 in 19.5 overs “A bowler like Poonam is someone who leads from the front. We were expecting a great comeback from her. Our team is looking nice, earlier we depended on two-three players,” India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match. Poonam, who missed the preceding T20 tri-series due to a hand injury, also got good support from other bowlers, including mediumpacer Shikha Pandey.
The 28-year-old from Agra was on a hat-trick but narrowly missed out as wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia dropped a difficult chance. The tournament-opener saw a record 13,000 plus attendance with a sizeable chunk supporting India. India next play against Bangladesh in Perth on February 24. “It was great for me to come back from injury and perform like this. It was the third time that I was on a hat-trick but satisfied that I was able to do the job for the team,” said Poonam at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Australia were off to a good start to their chase with opener Alyssa Healy making a 35-ball 51, laced with six boundaries and a six. However, Indian spinners led by Poonam triggered a collapse as Australia suddenly slipped to 82 for six. Poonam (4/19) snapped four wickets, two in successive deliveries in the 12th over, to break the back of Australia’s chase. Ashleigh Gardner (34 off 36) tried her bit but didn’t get any support from the other end.
Earlier, India squandered a flying start to end up with a below-par total. Sixteen-year-old Shafali Verma took India to 40 for no loss in four overs with a typically aggressive 29 off 15 balls but her fall derailed the innings as the other batters disappointed. Deepti Sharma made a composed 46-ball 49 in the second half of the innings but the firepower that India needed in the death overs was badly missing.
India were cruising initially with Shafali taking the opposition to the cleaners, hitting five fours and a six. However, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen (2/24) snapped two quick wickets, Smriti Mandhana (10 off 11) and Harmanpreet (2 off 5) to reduce India to 47 for three. Deepti then shared 53 runs with Jemimah Rodrigues (26 off 33) to bring up the 100 in the 16th over. For Australia, Ellyse Perry (1/15) and Delissa Kimmince (1/24) were the other wicket-takers. PTI
THE FEARLESS FIVE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN FOR INDIA
POONAM YADAV: The gamechanger. Australia had no clue about her googlies.
DEEPTI SHARMA: The all-round performer, shepherded the team to a fighting 132 and bowled niggardly.
SHAFALI VERMA: In a match where every other batter faced problems with shotmaking, the 16-year-old smashed 29 off a mere 15 balls.
SHIKHA PANDEY: The mediumpacer’s triple scalp (3/14) dented the world champions’ efforts.
TANYA BHATIA: With two catches and two stumpings, the pintsized wicketkeeper was electric behind the stumps.
India beats Australia
February 21, 2022: The Times of India
SYDNEY: Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav bowled a magical spell in her comeback game to steer India to a comfortable 17-run win over defending champions Australia in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup on Friday. Put in to bat, India struggled to a below par 132 before Poonam (4/19 in 4 overs) foxed the Aussies with her googlies, turning the match decisively into her team's favour.
Australia, who have won the competition four times in six editions, were all out for 115 in 19.5 overs
"A bowler like Poonam is someone who leads from the front. We were expecting a great comeback from her. Our team is looking nice, earlier we depended on two-three players," India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match.
Poonam, who missed the preceding tri-series due to a hand injury, also got good support from other bowlers including pacer Shikha Pandey.
The 28-year-old from Agra was on a hat-trick but narrowly missed out as wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia dropped a difficult chance.
The tournament-opener saw a record 13,000 plus attendance with a sizeable chunk supporting India.
India next play against Bangladesh in Perth on February 24.
India beats Sri Lanka, enters SFs
From: Radha, Shafali star as Indian women march into semis with all-win record, March 1, 2020: The Times of India
Melbourne:
The Indian women continued their stellar form in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup as they registered a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in what was their final group game at the Junction Oval.
Radha Yadav and Shafali Verma were the star performers for India, who finished the group stage at the top of the table with eight points from four games.
Having already qualified for the semifinals, the Indian eves first restricted Sri Lanka to a below par 113/9 with left-arm spinner Radha scalping 4 wickets in her four overs, giving away just 23 runs.
Spin partner Rajeshwari Gayakwad returned with figures of 2/18 while Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma and Shikha Pandey all scalped one wicket each.
For Sri Lanka, skipper Chamari Athapaththu was the lone batswoman who could make some significant contribution of 33. Apart from her, Kavisha Dilhari made 25* down the order and helped Sri Lanka cross the 100-run mark.
During their chase, it was once again 16-year-old Shafali who starred with the bat. She along with Smriti Mandhana, shared a 34-run opening stand before the left-handed opener was dismissed for 17.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been struggling for form, promoted herself to No. 3. However, that didn’t make much of a difference as she could score only 15 runs before getting out. Shafali, however, continued from the other end and kept on scoring boundaries and looked all set to smash her first halfcentury of the ongoing tournament. But, she fell just three runs short as she got run-out and missed out on a well-deserved fifty.
Deepti then completed the formalities alongwith Jemimah Rodrigues as the duo helped India chase down the target with as many as 32 balls to spare. Radha was adjudged the Player of the Match.
India will now take the field when they play in the first semifinal of the tournament on March 5 in Sydney. AGENCIES
Australia beats India in the finals
March 9, 2020: The Times of India
From: March 9, 2020: The Times of India
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
2023
India wins against Pakistan
Manuja Veerappa, February 13, 2023: The Times of India
From: Manuja Veerappa, February 13, 2023: The Times of India
A high-scoring match, maximum pressure and a form that has been wavering for a while. But none of it affected Jemimah Rodrigues. She heard no noise, spoke to herself and showcased nerves of steel as she helped India thump Pakistan by seven wickets in their Women’s T20 World Cup opener. This was India’s highest-ever successful chase in T20 cricket.
At the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, India and Pakistan played out a contest befitting the hype surrounding it. In a face-off highlighted by youth power on either side and the experience of Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof, India chased down a highly competitive target of 150 with six balls to spare.
While Player of the Match Jemimah anchored the chase with her unconquered 38-ball-53 (8x4), the U-19 World Cup-winning team duo of Shafali Verma (33; 25b; 4x4) and Richa Ghosh (31 n. o; 20b; 5x4) played key roles. Although there were a few hiccups andthe run rate touched 10 an over at one stage, India were always in the chase, especially with wickets in hand. Pakistan were undone by some below-average fielding and lack of bowling options in the death overs.
Yastika Bhatia (17) and Shafali got India off to a good start but the team was pegged back by left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu (2/15). With skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (16) back in the dugout in the 14th over, Jemimah shouldered the responsibility of seeing the team through some innovative hitting.
Earlier, given the conditions, both teams went for spin-heavy playing XIs. Pakistan opted to bat and their star of the day was Ayesha Naseem (43 n. o; 25b; 2x4; 2x6), who stole the limelight from their inform skipper Bismah, who top-scored with a 55-ball 68 (7x4).
The 18-year-old Ayesha was a heady combination of head, heart and guts. Coming into to bat with her team at 68/4 in 12. 1 overs, she accelerated from the fourth delivery she faced, picking Pooja Vastrakarfor her first boundary, a drive over mid-off. She was quiet against left-arm spinner Radha but flexed her muscles against pace, smashing Renuka Singh for a six over longon. The teenager followed it up with a sweetly-timed lofted drive to the boundary, which unnerved the bowler. A delivery after Radha dropped her in the final over, she was dropped again by Harleen Deol as the lofted shot went over the ropes. Radha (2/21) was the pick of the Indian bowlers.
QUESTIONABLE UMPIRING
The umpiring wasn’t of top-notch quality, but what was shocking was that an extra delivery bowled by seasoned Nida Dar in the seventh over went unnoticed. Incidentally, Rodrigues dispatched the ball to the ropes.
West Indies vs. India: India wins
Manuja Veerappa, February 16, 2023: The Times of India
From: Manuja Veerappa, February 16, 2023: The Times of India
A tossed-up delivery from Deepti Sharma lured Afy Fletcher out of the crease. Hoping to have a go at the off-spinner, the West Indian missed by a distance and watched helplessly as the ball crashed the gates. The crafty tweaker allowed herself a fist pump, but the occasion demanded much more.
With Fletcher’s wicket, Deepti became the first Indian to pick up 100 wickets in T20 internationals. With inspiring figures of 3/15, she also put India on course for their second successive victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
After a brief meltdown, India cruised to a six-wicket victory thanks to Richa Ghosh’s (44 n. o; 32b; 5x4) power hitting and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s (33) patient knock. Chasing West Indies’ modest total of 118/6, India overhauled the target with11 balls to spare.
Earlier, brought into the attack in the sixth over, Deepti got down to business straight away. Bowling a tight line, she expertly mixed the straight ones with the flatter deliveries. While the other tweakers in the Indian line-up struggled to get the ball to spin, the 25-year-old had no such trouble. After Pooja Vastrakar sent back skipper Hayley Matthews in the second over, the pair of Stafanie Taylor and (42; 40b; 6x4) and Shemaine Campbelle (30; 36b; 3x4) resurrected the innings. India made things easier for them with some sloppy fielding.
Deepti broke the 73-run association when Campbelle reverse swept to Smriti Mandhana at short third man. This led to a mini collapse. Three balls later, Deepti sent back Taylor adjudged leg-before off a successful review and Chinelle Henry was run out. The loss of three wickets in the span of six balls hurt the West Indies run rate.
Shafali Verma (28; 23b; 5x4) and Smriti (10) got India off to a flier before Karishma Ramharack (2/14) pegged them back. The off-spinner cashed in on Smriti’s struggle against spin and the opener was stumped. Last match star Jemimah Rodrigues (1), followed her vice-captain, offering a return catch to Matthews. Ramharackreturned to snap up the wicket of Shafali, who mistimed a slog sweep and found Fletcher at deep backward square.
Although India were down to 43/3 by the eighth over, they didn’t hit the panic button, given their batting depth. Richa, who is fast turning out to be a good finisher, blunted the West Indies attack with Harmanpreet. Although the skipper was dismissed in the business end of the chase, Richa sealed a win with a welltimed pull shot to the square leg boundary.
Cape Town: India vs Australia, India lost
Manuja Veerappa, February 24, 2023: The Times of India
From: Manuja Veerappa, February 24, 2023: The Times of India
Dropped catches, sloppy fielding and poor bowling. That was India’s sorry story at the beginning of their T20 World Cup semifinal contest against Australia in Cape Town. Eventually, the blunders cost them a place in the final.
After erring in the field, India had to play out of their skin to redeem themselves against the five-time champions. They found their go-to batters in skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (52; 34b; 6x4; 1x6) and Jemimah Rodrigues (43; 24b; 6x4). But Harmanpreet’s run out when 40 were needed off 32 balls dealt them a huge blow and in the end, they fell agonisingly short by five runs at 167/8. Australia, rode on fine batting performances by opener Beth Mooney (54; 37b; 7x4; 1x6), skipper Meg Lanning (49; 34b; 4x4; 2x6) and Ashleigh Gardner (31; 18b; 5x4) to post a competitive 172/4. Opting to bat, the Southern Stars made an early statement of intent with Alyssa Healy (25) driving Renuka Singh to the sweeper cover for a boundary to start the innings. Healy and Mooney were involved in a quick-fire 52-run opening stand before the former was stumped by Richa Ghosh in the eighth over.
Call it big-match pressure or lack of sharpness, over the next five overs, India put down two catches and missed a stumping opportunity. Lanning was the beneficiary on two occasions and Mooney once. This was apart from misfields which gifted runs to Australia.
Mooney turned on the heat with her impeccable timing and ability to pick the lengths with precision. At the other end, Lanning complemented the opener, finding the gaps and rotating strike. India did strike back with quick wickets in the death by Deepti Sharma and Shikha Pandey but conceded 59 runs in the last five overs. Australia had India on the mat early in the chase, reducing them to 38/3 in 3. 4 overs. Harmanpreet, who has struggled with her form, resuscitated the innings with Jemimah. The early loss of wickets notwithstanding, their 59-run association was one of power hitting and clean strokeplay.
Harmanpreet, who was down with fever on the eve of the match and was a doubtful starter, made the most of Healy dropping a thick edge, to take India close to the finish line. But once she left, Australia showedwhy they are a champion side. In contrast to India’s poor fielding effort, the Aussies threw themselves at every ball and choked the Indian lower-order into submission when 20 runs were needed of 12 balls.
Darcie Brown, the 19-yearold pacer, was the pick among the bowlers returning 2/18, while Gardner showed exemplary fielding skills andpicked up the crucial wickets of Smriti Mandhana and Radha Yadav.
India made three changes with Sneh Rana approved by the ICC as the replacement for Pooja Vastrakar, who was ruled out due to a respiratory illness. They also chose extra batters with Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Devika Vaidya making way for Radha Yadav and Yastika Bhatia.
Gqeberha: India vs. Ireland, India wins
Manuja Veerappa, February 21, 2023: The Times of India
In the third over, Smriti Mandhana stepped out and despatched Ireland pacer Orla Prendergast’s length delivery through cover point for her first boundary. It was the beginning ofthe Indian opener’s domination over the Irish bowlers. For the next 75 minutes at the windswept St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, the southpaw entertained with her career-best 87 (56b; 9x4; 3x6).
In their final league encounter at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, India walked away with a five-run victory by the DLS method. Chasing India’s 155/6, Ireland were 54/2 in 8. 2 overs when rain halted play and no further play was possible. India are now placed second on the points table with six points behind England, who play Pakistan on Tuesday in the last Group 2 engagement. In the semifinals, India will be up against Group 1 toppers and defending champions Australia.
India may have sealed the last-four place all right but they were probed by the Irish bowlers. The fact that there were 41 dot balls in their innings sums up their batting despair.
While Smirti — who rode on her luck after being put down on four occasions — was at ease in testing conditions, the rest of the batters struggled to connect and their timing was flawed. With gusty wind blowing for the better part of the match before rain hit the proceedings, Smriti and Shafali Verma (24; 29b; 3x4)got India off to a good start with their 62-run opening stand. Shafali, lacking in fluency, was happy rotating the strike. After surviving a couple of close calls, the youngster eyed the deep square leg for a big one. But she fell short and a diving Amy Hunter held on to the catch.
Ironically, on a day when Smriti punished them for the dropped catches, the Irish, Gaby Lewis in particular, held on to some good catches. Dropped on 46, the 26-year-old brought up her 22nd T20I half-century with a maximum over deep midwicket, a slog-sweep off Cara Murray. While the 50 came off 40 deliveries, Smriti switched gears thereafter and upped the ante. Laura Delany (3/33), who conceded 10 runs in her first two overs, was taken apart by Smriti, who struck two sixes off the medium pacer.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur again failed, falling to a mistimed slog.
Brief scores: India 155/6 (Mandhana 87, Delany 3-33) beat Ireland 54/2 (Lewis 32*, Renuka 1-10) by 5 runs via DLS method.
