India Women vs Australia Women Match 30 Full Commentary

We are back for Australia's reply! India Women are in a huddle, where Harmanpreet Kaur is providing some final words of inspiration before taking the field. Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney are the two Aussie openers. Renuka Singh Thakur to start proceedings with the ball. Richa Ghosh, the keeper, is standing up to the stumps. Here we go...

…THE RUN CHASE…

Exciting chase ahead - Chasing 171, Australia will need a strong batting performance to extend their unbeaten run. India, meanwhile, head into the innings break with momentum on their side and will be confident of defending this total. Who are you backing from here? Join us shortly for the second innings.

A quick word - Smriti Mandhana praises Harmanpreet Kaur for anchoring the innings brilliantly and helping India Women reach 170, while also crediting Shafali Verma for providing some crucial early boundaries. She feels 170 is a competitive total on the Lord's surface, which offers assistance to the bowlers.Speaking about the conditions, Mandhana says the pitch provides a bit of help for the seamers in the first three to four overs, although she believes shots played straight down the ground are rewarded.Reflecting on her run-out, she brushes it aside, saying such moments can happen in front of a big crowd during an India match. With the team posting 170, she feels the dismissal no longer matters.

A mixed effort on the field - For Australia Women, Lucy Hamilton, Kim Garth, and Georgia Wareham were the standout bowlers, while Sophie Molineux chipped in with two wickets but proved expensive. Australia also put down three catches, and their fielding suggested they may have taken things a little too lightly.

Late surge from India - India Women finished strongly, scoring 36 runs in the final two overs to post an impressive 170/4 from their 20 overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a blistering 56 off just 27 balls, while valuable contributions from the top order laid the perfect platform for a late surge in this must-win encounter. Batting first, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provided a solid start with a 66-run opening partnership, before Jemimah Rodrigues kept the momentum going through the middle overs. Harmanpreet then capped off the innings in style, powering India to a commanding total with a superb finishing flourish.

A magnificent knock comes to an end. Deepti Sharma comes in next.

Last over coming up. Sophie Molineux to bowl. Richa Ghosh comes in at the crease now. India Women have retired out Jemimah Rodrigues.

Jemimah Rodrigues has not recovered from the injury suffered and won't be able to participate any more with the bat. As it stands, Jemimah Rodrigues is retired out.

Who bowls the penultimate over? It will be Annabel Sutherland. India Women will look to cash in on the last two overs with 8 wickets in the shed.

It's semifinal time!  The Group Stage of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup comes to a thrilling conclusion, with Australia Women maintaining their unbeaten run and knocking India Women out of the tournament. Now, the focus shifts to the knockout stage, where every game is do or die. Australia Women will be back in action in the first semifinal against West Indies on Tuesday, 30th June, at 1.30 pm GMT. The second semifinal sees hosts England Women take on South Africa Women on Thursday, 2nd July, at 5.30 pm GMT. Both matches will be played at the iconic The Oval in London, and you can join us early for all the build-up and live coverage. Until then, it's goodbye and take care!

The victorious skipper of Australia Women - Sophie Molineux says there was momentum at both ends during the first innings. She notes that her bowlers used the short boundary down the slope and the wind to their advantage, and credits them for applying good cricketing awareness throughout the game. She adds that the team stayed committed to the contest regardless of how the Powerplay unfolded. Molineux also mentions that Ellyse Perry felt 170 was a chaseable target, and backed that belief with her performance, going out confidently to pursue the total alongside Ashleigh Gardner.

The captain for India Women - Harmanpreet Kaur feels India Women posted a competitive total, although she believes they are a little short while batting before the strong finish in the final overs lifted the score. She says they were looking for runs, but just could not get it. Reflecting on the tournament, Harmanpreet admits India did not perform well enough against the stronger teams and believes the side have to produce its best cricket in such matches. She also feels dropped catches prove costly and says the team did not play to its usual standards. Looking ahead, she believes the group needs to reflect deeply and rethink several aspects to improve going forward.

Time to hear from the two captains now...

Costly middle overs prove decisive - India Women made the perfect start as Renuka Singh struck in the opening over and the bowlers backed it up with disciplined lines, building pressure through plenty of dot balls. However, Australia Women collected 24 runs in the final two overs of the Powerplay to wrest back some momentum. Sree Charani then turned the game with two quick wickets, leaving Australia needing 99 from the last 10 overs. But a 17-run over from Radha Yadav before the drinks break, followed by a 16-run over from Charani after it, swung the momentum completely. From there, Australia never looked back, while a few sloppy moments in the field only added to India's woes as the chase was completed with an over to spare.

Harmanpreet's blitz powers India to 170 - Earlier in the game, India Women posted a competitive total, thanks to a fluent 66-run opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Jemimah Rodrigues kept the momentum going through the middle overs, but it was skipper Harmanpreet Kaur who stole the show with a magnificent 27-ball 56, providing the late impetus. Australia Women's bowling effort was a mixed one. Most of the bowlers kept things tidy, while Sophie Molineux picked up two wickets, but the costly final over, which went for 23 runs, swung the momentum firmly in India's favour.

Perry, Gardner crush India's hopes - Despite losing Georgia Voll in the first over and struggling for boundaries early, Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney ensured Australia Women finished the Powerplay strongly with 49/1. Both then fell in quick succession, but Ellyse Perry once again rose to the occasion. The veteran starred with a superb 56, adding a match-winning 100-run stand with Ashleigh Gardner as the pair paced the chase to perfection and never allowed India Women a way back. Perry fell before the finish, but by then she had all but sealed India's fate, with Gardner staying unbeaten on 53 off 29 to seal the highest-ever chase in the history of the T20 World Cup.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Ellyse Perry wins the award for her excellent knock of 56 off 38 balls. She calls it a wonderful day for the team, highlighting the incredible atmosphere and the significance of the occasion. She notes their strong history of contests against India and expressed satisfaction at getting over the line. Perry emphasized the importance of building a solid partnership through the middle overs to set up a strong finish. She praises Ash Gardner for her outstanding performance and credits her crucial contribution with the bat. She also reflects positively on the tournament overall, appreciating the support from crowds at all venues. Looking ahead, she says her focus is now on the semifinals, intending to help her side go all the way.

India bow out as Australia reign supreme - Australia Women finish the Group Stage unbeaten, making it five wins from five and sending out a strong statement that they are determined to reclaim the T20 World Cup crown. A superb all-round performance not only sees them defeat India Women but also knocks them out of the tournament. That result sends South Africa Women through to the semifinals alongside the Australians, sparking celebrations in the Proteas camp after their earlier victory. In contrast, it is heartbreak for India Women, with emotions spilling over as their World Cup journey comes to an end.

The next batter in is Georgia Wareham.

Australia Women need 17 runs in 18 balls now. India Women are knocking on the exit door and need something special here. With every run the Aussies score here, South Africa Women also inch closer to the semis.