EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Washout propels India into summit clash Sixth straight final for Australia South Africa falls short by five runs under DLS method Leaves England dejected; Women in Blue will be up against defending champion Australia Press Trust of India turned during the innings needed 19 off the last over Sydney break and South Africa was and we knew we had to nail Four­time champion Austra­ set a revised target of 98 it. But that’s T20 cricket for lia used its rich big­match ex­ runs in 13 overs as per the you,” said skipper Lanning. perience to surpass a spirit­ DLS method. ed South Africa by five runs South Africa ended at 92 Class side in a rain­hit semifinal here for five despite a fighting 41 On the final against India, on Thursday, setting up a tit­ not out off 27 balls from Lau­ “India are a class side, they le clash against first­timer In­ ra Wolvaardt. have been playing excellent dia. This is Australia’s sixth South Africa was reeling cricket. We are going to have successive final out of the se­ at 24 for three before Wol­ to play really well. We have ven editions held so far. vaardt and Sune Luus (21) been improving each day, it There were fears that the brought their team back in hasn’t been an easy road,” second semifinal between the game with a quickfire 47­ she said. Australia and South Africa at run stand. Wolvaardt, who South Africa skipper Dane the SCG too will be washed smashed three sixes and two van Niekerk said her team out like the India and En­ fours, had too much to do on tried its best. “... we have to gland match earlier in the her own. give credit to Australia for day. But the weather im­ Host Australia, which did the way they bowled and we proved just enough to get a not have the services of in­ just came six short.” game albeit a curtailed one. jured star allrounder Elysse Gloomy sight: All rain and no play — not the ideal way to decide a semifinal — but the Indians Contrasting moods: For Knight and Harmanpreet , it must Perry, was ecstatic after Jess The scores: Australia 134/5 in 20 overs (Meg Lanning 49 n.o., weren’t complaining. * ICC have meant agony and relief respectively. * GETTY IMAGES Leading from the front Jonassen was able to defend Beth Mooney 28, Nadine de Australia skipper Meg Lan­ 19 runs in the final over with Klerk 3/19) bt South Africa players in tears. “Really frus­ tournament well. “It’s all ve­ Really frustrating. Unfortunate we T20 WORLD CUP <> <> ning led from the front with South Africa getting only 13. 92/5 in 13 overs (Laura Wol­ trating. Not how we wanted ry English isn’t it?,” talking Not how we wanted didn’t get a game, unbeaten 49 off as many “It was extremely tense. vaardt 41 n.o., Megan Schutt 2/ the World Cup to finish for about the weather and get­ the World Cup to but there are rules balls to take her team to 134 Even in the last couple of 17). Revised target: 98 in 13 Press Trust of India us. No reserve day, no ting knocked out. “It felt that finish for us. No and we have to for five in 20 overs. Rain re­ balls it just wasn’t safe. They overs under DLS method. Sydney chance of getting play, and we gained a bit of momen­ reserve day, no follow it. Having ultimately that loss against tum in the last few games An unbeaten run in the chance of getting reserve days in the group stage propelled India South Africa cost us,” a de­ and we were pumped up for play... loss against future will be a great into its maiden Women’s T20 jected England captain the semifinals,” she added. World Cup final after its last­ Heather Knight said. England had ended run­ South Africa cost us idea four clash against England Harmanpreet Kaur also ner­up in the previous edi­ Heather Knight Harmanpreet Kaur England captain India captain was washed out here on agreed that the semifinals tion. India had topped Thursday. India will take on should have had a reserve Group A with four victories fali (Verma) and Smriti In the earlier seven edi­ holder Australia — which de­ day, a request which was in as many matches while (Mandhana). They are giving tions, India had never feated South Africa by five made by host Cricket Austra­ England had finished second us good starts, and that reached the final but this runs in another rain­hit sem­ lia but turned down by the in Group B with three wins helps. Me and Smriti are try­ time, they have emerged as ifinal — in the final on Sunday ICC. “Unfortunate we didn’t and a defeat. ing to spend more time in serious title contender after which happens to be Inter­ get a game, but there are “From day one, we knew the nets,” she added reflect­ a string of superlative perfor­ national Women’s Day. rules and we have to follow we have to win all the games ing on her and Smriti’s so far mances. it. Having reserve days in the because in case the semis indifferent form. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Persistent rain future will be a great idea,” don’t happen, that would be “We are looking more pos­ DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Persistent rain since morn­ said Harmanpreet. hard for us. In that sense, itive now. Unfortunately we The final ing delayed the toss and credit to the team for win­ haven’t come up with big in­ B March 8 (Sunday), eventually the semifinal was Paying the price ning all the games,” said Har­ nings, but our teammates India vs Australia, called off without a ball be­ Knight said her team paid manpreet. “Everybody is are, and at the end of the day Melbourne, 12.30 p.m. (IST) Ecstatic:The Aussies’ joy knew no bounds after they emerged on the right side of a tight finish ing bowled, leaving England the price for not starting the looking in great touch — Sha­ it’s a team game.” DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD in the semifinal against South Africa. * ICC Kohli congratulates women’s team Go out and give your best: Tendulkar Former players also applaud the side for making the T20 World Cup final Says women’s team has inspired so many youngsters Press Trust of India is scheduled to be played in Shayan Acharya their performances and they New Delhi Melbourne on Sunday. Mumbai have inspired so many India’s men’s team skipper “...A reward for winning As the Indian women’s crick­ youngsters... It is about Virat Kohli congratulated the all the matches in the group et team gears up for its mai­ bringing laurels to our na­ Harmanpreet Kaur­led wo­ stage. Congratulations den T20 World Cup final, it tion and you can come back men’s side for reaching its @BCCIWomen and wishing has a piece of advice from Sa­ (with the trophy). So many maiden final of the T20 you glory this Sunday chin Tendulkar — stay in the athletes in different fields World Cup in Australia, say­ #T20WorldCup,” Sehwag moment and be positive. have brought laurels to our ing the outfit’s performance said. “Go out and give your best nation, this would be anoth­ is something to be “proud” Former India Test special­ — that is what my message to er one. Go and enjoy your­ of. ist V.V.S. Laxman hailed the them [is]. Don’t take any self…” he said. The Indian women’s team side for its unbeaten record pressure, though it is easier The former India captain advanced to the the summit in the tournament so far. said than done. was in Australia recently, clash owing to a superior “Would have been great to “I genuinely want to tell when he met some of the group stage record, after the see the match, but many them that just stay together, players — including Shafali semifinal clash against En­ congratulations to @BCCI­ you don’t need to spend Verma. Reminiscing that gland was abandoned with­ Women for making it to the time with outside world. If meeting, Tendulkar said: out a ball being bowled at Kohli says he is proud of the Indian women’s team. * REUTERS finals of the #T20WorldCup . you are in the company of “Coincidentally, I was there the Sydney Cricket Ground A reward for winning 4 out each other, keep talking pos­ next to the trophy, and few due to persistent rain. @T20WorldCup final. We Former India opener Vi­ of 4 in the group stages. itive things because good members were there from “Congratulations to the are proud of you girls and render Sehwag also took to Wishing the girls the very things have happened to our our women’s team. I said it Indian Women’s team on wish you all the luck for the Twitter to wish the Indian best for the finals on Driving home: Sachin Tendulkar has advised the women’s team,” Tendulkar said. would be nice to see you qualifying for the finals,” Kohli tweeted. side luck for the final which #WomensDay” team members not to take any pressure. * PTI “I have been following with this trophy in India.” India decides to keep out Nagal Sania­Ankita combo Bindra backs shooters to do Prajnesh, Ramkumar for singles; Bopanna to partner Leander powers India past Korea well at Tokyo Olympics DAVIS CUP big responsibility.