India finished their Group A games with two wins and two losses, earning four points.

In the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, India lost their final Group A match to Australia by 9 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 54 not out from 47 balls, but India ended up at 142/9, falling short of the 152-run target. Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma added 29 and 20 runs.

Australia remained unbeaten in the group stage and qualified for the semi-finals. Renuka Singh Thakur (2/24) and Deepti Sharma (2/28) helped India with early wickets, but Australia still managed to post a challenging total. Renuka took two quick wickets, while Deepti got the important wickets of Grace Harris (40) and Ellyse Perry (32).

Australia’s stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath won the toss and chose to bat. Alyssa Healy missed the game due to a knee injury. Pooja Vastrakar returned to India’s squad.

India’s tournament started poorly with a big loss to New Zealand, but the team bounced back, winning against Pakistan with good bowling, though the batting struggled. They later performed well against Sri Lanka, with half-centuries from Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana.

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Australia dominated the group stage, winning all their matches and securing six points. India, New Zealand, and Pakistan fought for the remaining semifinal spot. Alyssa Healy and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck were injured during Australia’s win over Pakistan.

India had a big 82-run win over Sri Lanka, their largest in T20 World Cup history, which improved their net run rate. This victory put India second in Group A behind Australia, but to stay in the competition, they needed more wins. New Zealand still had a chance to qualify, depending on their net run rate and results against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Shafali Verma mentioned the team was aware of the importance of net run rate in the tournament.

Key highlights of the India vs Australia Women’s T20 World Cup match

Australia (151/8) beat India (142/9) by 9 runs in Sharjah.

• Harmanpreet Kaur hit a half-century, but it wasn’t enough for India.
• Shafali Verma (20) and Smriti Mandhana (6) got out early during India’s chase of 152.
• Australia scored 151/8 with Grace Harris making 40 and Ellyse Perry adding 32. Renuka Thakur took 2/24.
• Deepti Sharma also picked up two wickets in her four overs.
• Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath had a 62-run partnership for the third wicket.
• Renuka Thakur took two quick wickets during the powerplay, putting Australia under pressure early on.