Team India suffered a surprising nine runs loss to Australia in their final Group-A Match of the Women T-20 World Cup on Sunday in Sharjah.
Team India suffered a stunning nine runs defeat against Australia in their final Group-A match of the Women T-20 World Cup on Sunday in Sharjah significantly damaging their chances of reaching the semi-finals. However the outcome of the Pakistan vs New Zealand match will ultimately determine the fate of Harmanpreet Kaur and her team in the tournament. After being asked to bowl first India managed to restrict the defending champions to 151/8 but Australia maintained control as India could only reach 142/9 in response.
Despite being the top scorer for the team with 54 runs skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has faced heavy criticism for her approach in the final over.
In the 20th over India required 14 runs to win with Harmanpreet on strike. Though the pitch favored the bowlers she had reached her half-century and was expected to guide her team to victory. However she took a single on the first ball bringing Pooja Vastrakar to the crease.
Pacer Annabel Sutherland clean bowled Vastrakar on the second ball followed by Arundhati Reddy run-out on the third. Harmanpreet was back on strike for the fourth delivery but once again opted for a single leaving Shreyanka Patil to face the next ball.
With 12 runs required off just two balls Patil was run out on a wide delivery followed by Radha Yadav dismissal via LBW on the next ball. With only one ball remaining Renuka Singh managed to run for a single sealing Australia victory by nine runs.
Harmanpreet strategy of avoiding the pressure and opting for a single left many fans puzzled.
On the difference between the two teams tonight I believe their entire squad contributes they don’t rely on just one or two players. They have many all-rounders who make an impact. We also had a solid plan and were competitive in the game. They didn’t give away easy runs making it challenging for us. They are an experienced side. That something beyond your control you always need to have your playing eleven ready even if one or two players are unavailable said Harmanpreet after the loss.
