Phoebe Litchfield’s Astounding 119 powers Australia to 338 in 49.5 overs.
Winning the toss and deciding to first, captain Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield came out to open for Australia while Renuka Singh Thakur had ball in hand for India. Renuka bowled a few wides but kept it under check in her first over. Kranti Gaud came onto bowl from the other end. Litchfield broke the shackles by getting the first boundary of the game. Litchfield shimmied down the wicket and drove it in the gap between cover and cover point for a boundary. Litchfield was on a role now as she played the lofted drive over wide mid-off for a boundary.
Renuka continued as Harmanpreet dropped a sitter off her opposite number at mid-off as Healy got a life. Litchfield played a glorious shot as she square drive it past diving backward point fielder. Gaud continued as Litchfield swivelled and got it to the vacant fine leg region for a boundary. Thakur bowled a quiet over. Gaud continued as Healy dragged onto the stumps. Gaud bowled a good length delivery just outside off, that straightened a bit after pitching, Healy had a tame poke at it away from her body and ended up getting an inside edge back into the poles.
Elysse Perry came out to bat as the match was paused for a while with rain interrupting play for about 15-20 minutes Play resumed after 15-20 minutes, as Gaud gave away 5 wides to the batting side. Litchfield then took on Gaud and lifted it over wide mid-off for a boundary. Renuka thought she had Perry dismissed for LBW. But the veteran batter challenged the decision and got it overturned in her favour.
Perry got a lucky boundary away as she looked to cut it away but got cramped for room and got an inside edge that ran past the leg stump for a boundary to fine leg. Litchfield then managed to squeeze the ball between backward point and short third man for a boundary. Litchfield was on a roll as she square drove it to Amanjot at point who misfielded as the ball went away to the fence. Gaud gifted 5 wides as a bonus to the Aussies.
Renuka continued as Litchfield got the outside edge that went away past slips and away to the third man fence. Gaud continued and bowled a wrong line on the pads as Perry glanced it away fine and the ball ran away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Perry did it again, as she punched the yorker length past the bowler for a boundary to mid-on. Perry did it again as she stayed deep and guided it behind square in the off-side for a boundary. At the end of 10 overs, Australia were flying high at 72/1.
Renuka continued as Litchfield slammed it away and lofted it over covers for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Nallapureddy Charani came into the attack now. She started with a miserly first over. Deepti Sharma came into the attack next. She too bowled a quiet over. Charani continued as Litchfield got to her 9th ODI half-century. Perry then smashed Deepti by going down the ground for the maximum.
Charani came back and the 100 came up for Australia in 15.2 overs. Litchfield took on Charani and deposited over deep extra cover for the maximum. Phoebe survived a close LBW call as the review again went in favour of Australia. Deepti continued because he tickled away done to fine leg region. Charani continued and bowled a quiet over.
Amanjot Kaur comes into the attack next. Litchfield hit a cheeky boundary by shuffling across and went down to the fine leg fence. Radha Yadav came out to bat next. Litchfield played the no look shot inside out over extra cover for a boundary. Litchfield caressed through the covers as she pressed forward and drove through covers for a boundary as the 100-run stand came up between the pair. Litchfield then hammered down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. Australia were 135/1 in 20 overs. Drinks was taken at this point.
Deepti continued after the Break. Litchfield brought the reverse sweep by changing her stance and played the reverse sweep over short third man in the end. Amanjot came into the attack by changing ends as Litchfield welcomed with a boundary by a thick outside edge to the third man fence for a boundary. Radha came back into the attack as Litchfield moved to the nineties. Radha bowled a tight over. The 150 came up for South Africa in 23 overs. Lithfield then brought up her hundred with a boundary off Charani in style as it was her 3rd ODI ton and her first in this World Cup.
Radha bowled a tight over as Australia reached 159/1 in 25 overs at the half way stage of the game. Amanjot returned to the attack. Litchfield was given a life as Richa dropped a tough chance standing upto the stumps. Deepti returned as Litchfield stood and delivered for the maximum down the ground and then played the switch hit over covers for the maximum. Amanjot then broke the stand as she removed Litchfield for 119 off 93 balls with 17 fours and 3 sixes to her name.
Amanjot bowled a length ball around the middle stump line. Litchfield shuffled across the stumps and went for a funky shot and she missed the lap as the ball rattled the stumps. Beth Mooney came out to bat next. Radha returned as Mooney swept her away down on one knee and got it to fine leg fence for a boundary. India wasted a review on Mooney as the ball pitched outside the leg stump. Amanjot bowled a decent over as Australia were 193/2 in 30 overs.
Radha continued as Perry reached her fifty as she brought up her 37th ODI fifty and her first this tournament. Mooney then pulled it hard in front of square for a boundary past deep square leg as the 200 came up for Australia in 31.2 overs. Perry took on Amanjot and lofted it high and handsome over long-on for the maximum. It was also the 50th maximum for Perry in ODIs. Deepti returned to the attack as Mooney stepped out and dragged it to the leg side for a boundary.
Charani came back into the attack and removed Mooney for 24 off 22 balls with 3 fours to her name. She bowled the flighted delivery outside off-stump. Mooney danced down the track and gave herself some room to go inside out over covers but mistimed it and ended up chipping it to Rodrigues who took a good catch just beyond the circle. Annabel Sutherland came out to bat next. Drinks was taken at the score of 220/3 in 34 overs.
Renuka came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Charani got another as she removed Sutherland for 3 off 6 balls. Charani tossed this up nicely on off-stump. Sutherland planted her front leg and pushed it with a straight bat. She was again early into the stroke and ended up chipping it back to Charani who took a safe catch above her shoulders. Ashleigh Gardner came out to bat next. Thakur bowled another decent over. Charani bowled another decent over.
Kranti Gaud returned to the attack as Perry reached out and cut it behind square to backward point region. Perry got a triple as well. Radha Yadav came back into the attack and she removed the well set Ellyse Perry for 77 off 88 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to her name. Radha bowled a flighted delivery on a length around off-stump. Perry went deep in the crease and looked to cut it but got cramped for room. She missed it completely and the ball hit the top of the off-pole. Tahlia McGrath came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
McGrath then leant into the drive through the covers as the ball raced away to the fence. McGrath drove her behind square on the off-side as the ball splits the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary. Australia were 253/5 in 40 overs.
Deepti came back into the attack as a tough stumping chance went begging courtesy Richa Ghosh off Deepti Sharma. Gardner then tickled the ball on the pads to fine leg fence for a boundary. Gardner then hit Amanjot by punching off the back foot through the covers for a boundary. Then we had a run out to end McGrath’s stay at 12 off 7 balls with 2 fours to her name. Mix-up between the batters and McGrath had to depart. Kim Garth came out to bat next and got gifts from the Indians as 4 overthrow runs.
Charani came back into the attack and she bowled a miserly over. Deepti followed that up with another good over. Charani continued as Gardner stepped down the track and stayed leg side of the ball and tonked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Australia were 292/6 in 45 overs. Amanjot Kaur came back into the attack. Gardner found the gap and stepped down the track and flicked it away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. The 300 came up for Australia in 46 overs.
Gardner took on Radha as she rocked back and pulled it between deep midwicket and long-on for the maximum. Deepti continued as Gardner once again backed away to swipe it away behind square for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Gardner reached her half-century off 41 balls. This was her 8th ODI fifty. Gardner then took on Radha and stepped down the track and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum.
She again targetted Radha by dancing down the track and heaved it away between long-on and deep midwicket for the maximum. Then we had a run out to end a great innings from Gardner for 63 off 45 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes to her name. Mix-up between the two players led to a run out. Alana King came out to bat next. King crunched the ball through the off-side by hammering it to wide long-off for a boundary.
Deepti then removed King for 4 off 4 balls with a boundary to her name thanks to successful use of DRS. Deepti bowled a length ball wide outside off-stump angling across the batter. King shuffled across the stumps and swung her bat across the line. She got beaten on the inside edge to the keeper. The appeal was turned down. We went upstairs and there was a clear spike when the ball hit the bat. The decision was overturned to OUT. Sophie Molineux came out to bat next and got out first ball for a golden duck.
Deepti from over the wicket bowled a yorker around the leg stump. Sophie shuffled across the stumps and missed the swipe on the inside edge and the ball crashed onto the base of the leg stump. Megan Schutt came to face the hat-trick ball and survived it by taking a single. Kim Garth wanted the second run to retain strike and got run out for 17 off 17 balls. Schutt remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball as Australia were bowled out for 338 in 49.5 overs. 13 extras given by the fielding side.
Nallapureddy Charani was the pick of the bowlers for India in what was a hard fought day for the Indians as she finished with 2/49 in 10 overs. Deepti Sharma chipped in with 2/73 in 9.5 overs. Kranti Gaud chipped in with 1/58 in 6 overs. Amanjot Kaur chipped in with 1/51 in 8 overs. Radha Yadav finished with 1/66 in 8 overs. Renuka Singh Thakur chipped in with 0/39 in 8 overs. This meant that India had a mammoth 339 to chase which would have been a record chase in ODIs.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ special ton powers India to an unbelievable win.
Chasing 339 for the win, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana came out to bat for India. Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Shafali made her intentions clear as she glanced it away down to the fine leg fence. Kim Garth had ball in hand from the other end. Shafali hammered her through the covers for a boundary. But Garth hit back getting rid of Shafali for 10 off 5 balls with 2 fours to her name.
Garth bowled a good length delivery around off that pitched and nipped back in sharply. Shafali shuffled across her stumps a shade and missed the flick on the inside edge. She was wrapped up on the front pad. The umpire gave it OUT. Shafali reviewed in hope and saw three reds on replays. The review was lost by India as well. Jemimah Rodrigues came out to bat next. Mandhana completed 1000 ODI runs against Australia. Schutt continued and bowled a decent over.
Garth continued and bowled a tight over. Schutt gave away 4 byes to the batting side. Mandhana then took the attack to Garth and went straight down the ground for the maximum over the bowler’s head. Jemimah joined the party as she flicked it away to the right of midwicket for a boundary. Schutt continued as Mandhana bisected the gap between backward point and short third man for a boundary.
Rodrigues shuffles across the stumps and got down on one knee and scooped it down to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack next. Rodrigues used her feet and stepped down the track and drove it sweetly through the covers for a boundary. Mandhana pressed forward and creamed it through the covers for a boundary. Garth then got rid of Mandhana for 24 off 24 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to her name.
Garth bowled a length ball angling down the leg side. Mandhana missed the glance to the keeper. Wide was given as the umpire was unmoved. Mandhana was confident she didn’t nick it. But ultra edge showed a spike and Mandhana had to depart. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat next. She got off the mark in the end. At the end of the first powerplay, India were 60/2 in 10 overs.
Sophie Molineux came into the attack post the powerplay. Jemimah climbed onto the short and wide ball outside off, as she rocked back and cut it away past the right of backward point for a boundary. Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next and Jemimah walked down the track and converted it into a low full toss as she flicked it away between the gap of long leg and deep square leg for a boundary. Molineux bowled a tidy over.
Rodrigues rocked back and slashed it away past the left of backward point for a boundary. Kaur got into the act as she pressed forward and drove it uppishly through the gap of short extra cover and mid-off for a boundary. Alana King came into the attack next and bowled a decent first over. India were 88/2 in 15 overs at the first Drinks Break. Sutherland continued as Kaur presented the full face of the bat to drive it over the bowler’s head. King tried to stop it but couldn’t.
King bowled a decent over. Sophie gifted 5 wides as a bonus to the batting team as the 100 came up for India in 17 overs. King continued as Kaur leaned into the drive on the full and flicked it firmly wide of mid-on for a boundary. Molineux continued as Jemimah cut her away by going deep in the crease and cut it through point for a boundary. India were 116/2 in 20 overs. King continued as Jemimah got down on one knee and swept it along the carpet for a boundary to deep midwicket. Rodrigues reached her 9th ODI fifty and she got there in 57 balls.
Jemimah got a life as Litchfield dropped a very tough catch at covers. Sophie continued as Kaur hung back and scythed it past the right of backward point for a boundary. Kaur then used her feet and stepped out and took it on full before whipping it along the ground wide of mid-on for a boundary. Kim Garth returned to the attack. She was welcomed back with a boundary as Rodrigues stayed deep in the crease and cut it between backward point and short third for a boundary. Gardner came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. India were 149/2 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
The 150 came up for India in 25 overs. Garth gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Kaur then played a classic shot and whipped it nonchalantly over midwicket for a boundary. The 100-run stand came