Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: India’s hopes of securing a semifinal spot in the Women’s T20 World Cup took a major hit after suffering a narrow nine-run loss to Australia in their final Group A match on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 152, India fell short, finishing at 142 for 9, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur leading the way with an unbeaten 54 off 47 balls. Deepti Sharma contributed 29, while Shafali Verma added 20.
Despite the loss, India continue to remain in second place on the points table with two wins and two losses, though their net run rate has dropped to 0.322, but still ahead of third-placed New Zealand
Australia, on the other hand, became the first team from the group to advance to the last four with an unbeaten run registering four wins in as many games.
India will pray for Pakistan win
India’s fate now hinges on Monday’s match between Pakistan and New Zealand, where a win for Pakistan would pave the way for India to reach the semifinals.
New Zealand, currently in third place with four points, will secure the last semifinal spot if they win against Pakistan.
If Pakistan triumphs, India, New Zealand, and Pakistan will all be tied with four points each. In this scenario, India will advance to the semifinals due to their superior net run rate (NRR).
However, with a NRR of -0.488, Pakistan would need an extraordinary win to qualify for the semifinals alongside Australia from Group A.
