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DELHI THE HINDU 20 SPORT MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Australia runs away with cup as crumbles on the big stage Healy and Mooney set up a daunting target; Women in Blue flounder in the chase, lose by a mile

Reign continues: Australia celebrates winning the ICC Women's T20 World Cup for a fifth time.* AFP T20 WORLD CUP Australia to a formidable 184 who had saved their best for The match was as good as ly’s 39­ball innings was laced SCOREBOARD for four in 20 overs. the last. over when India was 18 for with seven 4s and five 6s. Press Trust of India Evidently overwhelmed The manner and magni­ three by the fourth over, Healy and Mooney shared 115 Melbourne by the occasion, India crum­ tude of the defeat, including which became 30 for four runs in 11.5 overs for the AUSTRALIA 4­0­34­1. FALL OF c Veda b Radha INDIA India saved its worst for the bled to 99 all out in front of a a few sub plots, were remi­ when skipper Harmanpreet opening . 1­2 (Shafali, 0.3), 2­8 (Je­ 75 (39b, 7x4, 5x6), Beth c Healy b mimah, 1.6), 3­18 (Smriti, 3.1), last. A brutal Australia out­ turnout of 86,174 at the icon­ niscent of the 2003 men’s Kaur departed and 58 for five Just like Healy, Mooney Mooney () 78 (54b, Schutt 2 (3b), 4­30 (Harmanpreet, 5.4), 5­58 classed India by 85 runs to ic Melbourne World Cup final when Ricky when too cashed in on a dropped 10x4), c Shikha b c Carey b Molineux 11 (8b, 2x4), (Veda, 11.3), 6­88 (Deepti, 16.1), claim a fifth ICC T20 World Ground, a record in women’s Ponting’s Australia thrashed was taking the long walk chance — caught and bowled Deepti 16 (15b, 2x4), Ashleigh retd. hurt 2 (4b), 7­92 (Shikha, 17.1), 8­96 (Richa, Cup title on Sunday. cricket history. Sourav Ganguly’s India in an back. opportunity by Rajeshwari Gardner st. Taniya b Deepti 2 c Carey b 17.3), 9­97 (Radha, 18.1). first after the coin What worked in the home anti­climactic title clash. Earlier, Mooney and Healy Gayakwad in the fourth over (3b), b Poonam Jonassen 0 (2b), Harmanpreet AUSTRALIA 4 (5b), (not out) 5 landed in Meg Lanning’s fa­ team’s favour was that the rode on dropped chances to — to punish India by reaching Kaur c Gardner b Jonassen 4 Schutt 3.1­0­18­4, Jonassen (5b, 1x4); Extras (b­1, nb­1, (7b, 1x4) vour, Australia came out in openers easily neutralised All nerves smash blistering fifties and her fifty off 41 balls. Mooney , c 4­0­20­3, Molineux 4­0­21­1, w­2): 4; Total (for 4 wkts. in 20 (35b, 2x4) scintillating fashion with the threat posed by in­form Like Zaheer Khan in his power Australia to a chal­ struck 10 fours in her 54­ball Mooney b Carey 33 , Kimmince 4­0­17­1, Carey overs): 184. openers Alyssa Healy (75, spinner (one opening over at the Wander­ lenging 184 for four. unconquered knock. Veda Krishnamurthy c Jonassen 4­0­23­1. FALL OF WICKETS b Kimmince 19 (24b, 1x4), Richa 39b) and (78, for 30), while taking the likes ers against Adam Gilchrist The Indian spinners — Player-of-the-Final: Alyssa 1­115 (Healy, 11.4 overs), 2­ Ghosh c Carey b Schutt 18 (18b, Healy. 54b) laying the foundation of medium­pacer Shikha and Matthew Hayden, Deepti Dropped catches Deepti (2/38), Radha (1/34) 154 (Lanning, 16.2), 3­156 2x4), c Mooney b with a 115­run partnership in Pandey and Deepti Sharma Sharma was all nerves when Mooney top­scored for Aus­ and Poonam (1/30) — did well (Gardner, 16.5), 4­176 (Haynes, Schutt 2 (4b), c Player-of-the-Tournament: double quick time. to the cleaners. Shikha was up against Mooney and Hea­ tralia, but it was Healy, who to restrict Australia under 18.5). Mooney b Jonassen 1 (2b), Poo­ Beth Mooney. smashed for 52 runs in her ly, who blasted massive sixes went on the attack after be­ 200, but 184 proved too INDIA BOWLING nam Yadav c Gardner b Schutt 1 batted as con- Stirred up four overs. as a beaming husband Mitch­ ing dropped off the fifth ball much once India lost Shafali, Deepti 4­0­38­2, Shikha 4­ (5b), (not cussion substitute for Taniya Stirred up by the grand occa­ Half the battle was won for ell Starc watched from the of the innings by Shafali Ver­ Smriti Mandhana and the 0­52­0, Rajeshwari 4­0­29­0, out) 1 (3b); Extras (w­5): 5. Total Bhatia. sion, their onslaught fired the formidable Australians, stands. ma off Deepti Sharma. Hea­ top­order in no time. Poonam 4­0­30­1, Radha (in 19.1 overs): 99. Australia won by 85 runs. Despite the final stumble, Reaching final no mean Have full faith in team: Harmanpreet a campaign to be proud of achievement: Shantha Rues dropped chances, says side has to work on fielding N. Sudarshan great bat and a future cap­ Teenaged talent to the fore; senior batters disappoint BENGALURU tain. But it's time they justify Despite Sunday’s crushing the ‘senior’ tag.” Amol Karhadkar loss, India’s run to the T20 Shantha felt there was im­ World Cup final was “no mense scope for Shafali to The G was abuzz with a re­ mean achievement,” be­ improve. “She is an exciting cord turnout. While the Aus­ lieves Shantha Rangaswa­ talent and we want her to tralian women rose to the my, former India skipper play long­term. For that she occasion, their Indian coun­ and current member of the needs to get fitter. She has terparts wilted under big BCCI Apex Council. brilliant hand­eye coordina­ match pressure at the Mel­ “We have to give the team tion like [Virender] Sehwag bourne Cricket Ground on credit,” Shantha said. “To and [Kris] Srikkanth, but Sunday. focus just on the defeat and her fielding and running Despite the disappointing not on the earlier wins is not between the wickets are be­ loss, Harmanpreet fair. We should congratulate low par. Kaur, head coach W.V. Ra­ and “After the 2017 World Cup man and the touring entour­ team.” final (that India lost), the age have every reason to “The final was the first number of women taking up hold their heads high after a match Shafali didn’t click cricket tripled, even qua­ highly successful campaign. and you saw the collapse. drupled. No doubt the final was Playing her part: Deepti Sharma contributed to the team’s Harman's form is causing “Broadening the base is The blues! After a fine run, the Indians were found wanting in the most important match.* AFP lopsided, but the loss should cause with handy batting and effective spin bowling. * AP concern. Jemimah is per­ our dire need, and, in that not take away anything from haps one of the best we context, Harman and team Press Trust of India rued the dropped chances of the final. I think we’re on the the Indian girls who exceed­ teenaged prodigies — Shafali zled opposition batters with have; an excellent fielder, have done well.” Melbourne Beth Mooney and Alyssa right path. Every year we are ed expectations. Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues her combination of leg­ India skipper Harmanpreet Healy, who set up their improving. We just need to For starters, India was and Richa Ghosh — came to breaks and googlies, pacer Kaur said on Sunday she had team’s victory. She said the think of how we play with fo­ clubbed in the ‘group of the fore consistently, with Shikha was at her best with full faith in her team to do team needs to work on its cus in the main games. So­ death’, with Australia and allrounder Deepti Sharma the new ball and also in the well in future after Australia fielding. metimes we don’t manage New Zealand fancied to pro­ and finisher Veda Krishna­ death overs. outclassed her side by 85 “Today, it was unfortu­ that,” she said. gress to the semifinals from murthy making vital contri­ Shikha also played the si­ runs in the summit clash. nate that we dropped those She spoke highly of the its pool. butions in the latter half. lent contributor’s role to “The way we played in the catches. The upcoming one­ domestic IPL­style Women’s To add to the woes, two of perfection. league games was outstand­ and­a­half years is very im­ Challenger. “This year we its experienced batters — Shikha, Poonam shine They may have to failed to ing. I still have a lot of faith in portant. We need to focus, are hoping for some more Harmanpreet and the stylish While Deepti was consistent cross the hurdle again in a my team,” Harmanpreet especially in fielding,” she games in the Women’s Chal­ Smriti Mandhana — never with her off­breaks as well, World Cup summit clash, af­ said. “It’s part of the game, said. The skipper reckoned lenger. That tournament is got going. Still, to maintain a the bowling burden was ter the 2017 50­over event in sometimes you win and so­ her side needed to learn very important because it is clean slate and top the group shouldered by the expe­ England, but the Women in metimes you lose. You have how to win high­stakes high quality. From there, we was creditable. rienced duo of Shikha Pan­ Blue have proved in the last to keep learning. But I trust clashes. “If we talk about the already got two good With the two seniors dey and Poonam Yadav. three weeks that they have a Contrasts: While Shafali had a poor match, Healy, snapping this team,” she said. last T20 World Cup, we got players, and hopefully we struggling for big runs, three While Poonam bamboo­ bright future ahead of them. up the Indian off Schutt, had a dream day. * GETTY IMAGES Harmanpreet, however, to the semis, and this time to can get more.” Hardik Pandya makes an expected return to ODI squad Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar back too; Gill in for Jadhav SA IN INDIA Mumbai, replaced Shivam youngster Shubman Gill in Dube, Shardul Thakur and place of middle­order bat­ Amol Karhadkar Mayank Agarwal from the sman Kedar Jadhav, thus in­ MUMBAI squad that went to New Zea­ dicating the planning for the India’s captain and head land. future has begun. coach may have tried to While Jadhav — who will downplay the whitewash in Swashbuckling form turn 35 later this month — New Zealand by stating ODIs Hardik has been in swash­ had been persisted with after aren’t a priority in a T20 buckling form with the wil­ the last World Cup, Joshi and World Cup year but Sunil low — he scored two hun­ Co. opted for Gill. It would Joshi — in his first meeting as dreds, including a 158­run be interesting to see if Gill, selection committee chief — blitzkrieg that included 20 who featured in a couple of hinted at the selectors build­ sixes and also picked a five­ ODIs early last year in New ing a team for the 2023 wicket haul — while Dhawan Zealand, gets some game­ World Cup. and Bhuvneshwar were put time against South Africa. Hardik Pandya, Shikhar through their paces to prove Despite the BCCI not elab­ Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar match­fitness. orating on the changes in the Kumar — who have regained squad, it is understood that fitness after being out due to Future planning pacer Mohammed Shami has injuries — expectedly re­ But the first meeting of the been rested as part of the turned to the fold for the re­jigged selection panel, workload management re­ three ODIs against South held in Ahmedabad on Sun­ gime. After a heavy workout Africa. The trio, which ex­ day before the selectors in New Zealand across for­ celled for Reliance 1 during headed to Rajkot to watch mats, Shami has also not Hardik Pandya. the recently­concluded DY the Ranji Trophy final, pre­ been released for the Ranji fi­ * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Patil T20 tournament in Navi ferred to include promising nal.

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