India is now relying on their long-time rivals, Pakistan, to keep their Women’s T20 World Cup hopes alive after a tough nine-run loss to Australia.
India’s loss to the defending champions, Australia, has left them hoping that Pakistan can pull off a victory. A win for New Zealand, however, would knock India out of the semifinals.
India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, acknowledged the uncertainty: “It’s out of our hands now. If we get another chance to play, it’ll be great, but the best team will make it.”
Australia, a six-time champion, secured the first semifinal spot despite the absence of their captain, Alyssa Healy, who was sidelined with a foot injury. Grace Harris stepped in with 40 runs, and Tahlia McGrath, who led the team, added 32. Australia posted 151-8 after choosing to bat.
In response, India fought hard but ended at 142-9. Kaur stood strong with an unbeaten 54, while Deepti Sharma contributed 29 in a crucial partnership. In the final over, India needed 14 runs, but Australia’s Annabel Sutherland allowed only four, sealing the win for her team.
With this, Australia extended their tournament winning streak to 15. “We want to win every game,” said McGrath. “It was a tough match, but the team kept calm and finished strong.”
On the other hand, Pakistan, led by stand-in captain Muneeba Ali, still believes they have a shot at the semifinals. To make it, they need to defeat New Zealand on Monday and improve their run rate. Their captain, Fatima Sana, will return to the squad after attending to personal matters back home.
Group B also saw England dominate, crushing Scotland by 10 wickets. Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s unbeaten century partnership helped them chase down 109 with ease. England’s disciplined bowling and powerful batting pushed them closer to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Scotland and Bangladesh have already exited the tournament.
As the group stages wrap up, teams are fighting hard to secure a semifinal spot, but for India, everything now hinges on Pakistan’s performance.
