India has outplayed the favourites Australia in the opening game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Sydney. Defending only 132 runs on the board after losing the toss, the Indian bowlers stuck to their task. Poonam Yadav bowled a magical spell as she was all over the Australian players and was well supported by Shikha Pandey as the duo shared seven wickets together to help India bundle out for a meagre total of 115 runs and get two crucial points.
In what seemed like a comfortable chase, Australia Women started their inning quite well as Alyssa Healy ran through the Indian bowlers. Healy rather got to the half-century in no time off just 34 deliveries and Australia were sitting pretty at 67/2 in the 10th over. However, after hitting a six off Poonam Yadav to get to her fifty, Healy got out off the very next delivery. Once Healy was gone, Poonam was too hot to handle for the Australian players.
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Soon, Shikha Pandey also picked the wickets from the other as she tightened the noose around Australia and pressure of required run-rate kept on soaring. Eventually, Australia was bundled out for 115 in the final over of the innings as they collapsed from being 55/1. While Poonam returned with the magical figures of 4/19, Pandey scalped as many as three wickets conceding just 14 runs.
Earlier after losing the toss, India raced off to 40 runs in just four overs courtesy of Shafali Verma’s exploits. But soon after that, they lost Smriti Mandhana, Verma herself and Harmanpreet Kaur. India came down from 41/1 to 47/3 in the space of 15 deliveries. This is when Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma joined hands to stitch a decent partnership. They added 53 runs for the 4th wicket before Rodrigues getting dismissed in the 16th over. At 100/4, they needed a few quickfire runs and 15 of them came in the 17th over thanks to Deepti’s sweeping prowess off Jess Jonassen’s bowling.
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But Deepti and Veda Krishnamurthy struggled to churn out the boundaries and could only add 17 runs to the total as India finished on 132/4 after 20 overs.
Twitter Reacts As India Women’s Beat Australia Women’s:
Congratulations, #TeamIndia! Take a bow, @poonam_yadav24. @ImHarmanpreet, very impressive win against the @AusWomenCricket #AUSWvINDW #ICCT20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/2pxwEWktBT
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 21, 2020
The biggest problem facing @poonam_yadav24 tonight was standing in front of @irbishi at the “Player of the Match” award! #T20WorldCup
— Alan Wilkins (@alanwilkins22) February 21, 2020
Match 1 done & dusted ✅. India get off to a flying start and continue their success against Australia in @ICC events. What a great start to the tournament!!!
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) February 21, 2020
What. A. Win.
The Big Dance is underway with a bang!#AUSvIND | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/EAyJhLEL2Q
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 21, 2020
This is some start from #TeamIndia beating the defending champions. Poonam Yadav 🔥 The innings from Shafali Verma set up things nicely for us.#WT20WC #AUSWvsINDW #AUSvIND
— Sriram (@SriramARR) February 21, 2020
Proper got out of jail thanks to some masterclass from Poonam Yadav.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) February 21, 2020
Take your pick @TheShafaliVerma blitz, pocket dynamo @poonam_yadav24 4-19, #taniyabhatia behind the stumps, @ImHarmanpreet use of @shikhashauny in the 17th…#gamechangingmoments @BCCIWomen have made a statement 💪🏽 #ICCT20WorldCup #INDvAUS
— Mayanti Langer Binny (@MayantiLanger_B) February 21, 2020
Brilliant bowling and captaincy @BCCIWomen 👏
— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist) February 21, 2020
Out! And WIN it is for @BCCIWomen . #T20WorldCup . #INDvsAUS . Bowlers do it for India.
— neeru bhatia (@neerubhatia3) February 21, 2020
Massive massive win… well played, India! #AusvInd
Mad start to the #T20WorldCup
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) February 21, 2020
What a win for India..Jai Ho…super cricket by India women's @ImHarmanpreet @poonam_yadav24 @JemiRodrigues @mandhana_smriti great performance from all of you @wvraman @BCCI @CricketAus #AUSvIND #T20WorldCup
— Samip Rajguru (@samiprajguru) February 21, 2020
Staggering performance by India's women. Australia were favourites for the tournament and this is a huge result. Top effort from the bowlers. How good was Deepti Sharma! But it was the little leggie Poonam Yadav who turned it around. #iccwomenst20worldcup
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 21, 2020
Terrific win for #IndiaWomen. What a start to their campaign! As much as Poonam Yadav deserves credit, I hope Taniya Bhatia is lauded for some amazing work behind the stumps. Don't be too harsh on that dropped chance. #AUSWvINDW #WT20WC
— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) February 21, 2020
India defeat Australia.. India humiliate Australia! Party on me. This is victory of those who think white race is superior. We have won! This is revolutionary win. I'm happy we are moving up and up.. As a politician, this is my duty to give it a twist and turn.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) February 21, 2020
Spin To Win. Even in Australia. Winning the game by 17 runs while defending a modest total….that too against the Hosts and Defending Champions—Australia. Take a bow, #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup #AusvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 21, 2020
Well THAT'S made things interesting, hasn't it? It's wide open now. Brilliant bowling by India and Poonam Yadav's wrong'uns were something special. #T20WorldCup
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 21, 2020
Incredible scenes!#AUSvIND | #T20WorldCup https://t.co/QK2ovtGHQB
— ICC (@ICC) February 21, 2020
Brilliant from India. Just what this comp needed for the first game. Still backing Australia to win it though…
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) February 21, 2020
Australia must run the table from here to make the final. Now we have ourselves a tournament. But forget about them for the moment… what a victory for India. Tough as. #T20WorldCup
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) February 21, 2020
Alex Blackwell says her approach to Yadav and her loopy wrong ‘uns is to play her from the crease. Aus batters take note. Well played India. Huge result to start the #WT20WC
— Chloe Saltau (@chloejane32) February 21, 2020
India extends in winning streak over Australia in ICC events to three. Apart from Healy, no match for India's slow bowlers tonight. Poonam Yadav was brilliant. Will these two teams meet again in the final… or will India face someone else? Full time: India 132/4 Australia 115/10
— Rick Eyre (@[email protected]) (@rickeyrecricket) February 21, 2020
